He's got
a lot. Call the meeting to order please
rise for the Pledge of Allegiance. To. The United States
of America. Which is.
Just.
Here to have
a quorum first all announced this meeting is being recorded by Saugus cable
television and if anyone else is recording or planning on recording your
presentation would you please announce at that this time. One.
Day I would like to make
a motion to take this course of presentation out of order. For that discussion on
a favor. And. This is Superintendent we have
a special presentation yes we do have
a two hour introduced me to come up introduce my students. Principal
versed elementary school.
Welcome. In the evening. We are the students of the in high school we are here
to set tell some amazing things about our school we have
a motto at the in here and I am I know is it heaving aspiring. My name is your ID
If you are one of the great things that I like about go in her school is still in
her school meeting we have a special meeting once a month after you meet
a meeting can perform tell jokes and show their the whole school at their mazing
town Mr Mandela also gives out special awards these awards are called line.
My name is Terence Carroll I've been at the in her since kindergarten I've had six
teachers six classrooms and three principals in our new principal it started and
which initially called the liners every month at our school meeting two students
from each classroom are awarded these aren't hundreds Lionheart kids that try hard
and don't give up in there for the kids that help others in lessons I myself have
not gotten more of what I'm trying to so I think
a lionheart is very important to the interest Good luck with that but Hello
everyone my name is Abigail Wallace from the one her school our principal Mr
Mandela asked us to question what makes our school special today I am here to tell
you about our safety but I see if you patrol as
a group of kids that get selected to help to keep our school see what they do. In.
It's helped the students at our school. Whether it be that they fell or just giving
them directions to their classroom the safety patrol comes before school and helps
the teachers keep everyone safe and also holds the door when students come and see
if you are a part in keeping our school see thank you for having me and have
a nice. Thank you. Good evening I'm Cassius Yes and I am
in the fifth gave them had to be right in his studio every morning when I left it
says. Have you
a worry and is the name Lee has for the morning announcements we say things like
the date two days where their birthdays their lunch sometimes special announcements
and the thought of the day that me etc and to rise and say the Pledge of Allegiance
I did the debt deal a lie and on Tuesday I think I did
a pretty good job. And is happening to fifth grade is
a living birthday cards the gross employees his best day day as well personally
receive a pencil and a card from the fifth gaze those are only a few was
a great thing this year at the enhanced school thank you and. Good evening
my name is Rachel Shay currently
a fifth grader at Winters one of the things that makes the one her school great is
the holiday shopping held in the winter kids kids are five gathered together to buy
items for the family less than twelve dollars best part is the guest I thought
phone loving so they look like they're bought from
a real store students love the easy shopping in the beautiful wrapping that comes
with it parents also get to volunteer if they would like to that's only one thing
that makes Dylan her school excellent. And then we feel very lonely amazing things
we do have learned her is this great helpers we have three different types of one
of the jobs table washers there are two table washers Milwaukee table before and
after launch another job. Through. Door on this corner cycle the last year although
it was washroom helpers after the holders are done with lunch they go to their
starting classroom and help out the students and teachers and personally helping
one of the third grade classroom these are some of the many great things about war
and. Thank you for having us this evening having to
have
a good day. Thank you. To
all of that
a wonderful job thank you for coming. Very proud of them. Just
Mondello did you want to. I didn't want to say anything that I tried to do the
student led student generated so they were running the show tonight so I was just
in the back burners and in this came about because you asked them to answer
a question of what they feel I tried to you know there wasn't much direction on the
presentation so we kind of just I posed
a question I wanted it to be not for me to try not to give his mark in any
direction at all I was just trying to see what they would facilitate within
a group and they did
a wonderful job they did and you should be very proud thank you for having us thank
you. The Lions. And the. Lions
and at the present the thing. Well we're talking about students we might
on the say
a big thank you to the way very third grade for our work here spring is well it'll
be here tomorrow I hear. And thank the students for brightening our room if they
take turns. Next on the agenda back in
order is public comment is there any public comment the C Evening. I.
Please stay in the name of the directly. Christine Janko yack and I am better known
as Mrs J.
And I am the lone elementary music teacher in the town of Saugus for the past seven
yes I am speaking on behalf of the Veterans Memorial School students in green K.
Through three who have had to double up each grade level class for music class
since the beginning of September the situation has been overwhelming for some of
the students and very restricting for all of the children we got every day
elementary music classrooms such as movement playing rhythm and other precaution
instruments doing worksheets and overall student participation having support which
means the addition of another person or persons in the room is comforting and
necessary in terms of safety issues however the support does not negate the fact
that I still have over thirty six children premieres
a class in grade skate through three of the vets Ideally we need another elementary
music teacher to complete our team of elementary specialists which at this time is
comprised of two physics teachers to our teachers this would not only solve an
ongoing yearly dilemma once and for all but would also provide
a level playing field in elementary music comparable to Wotton physics allowing for
all elementary schools to have music the entire year currently students either have
a half
a year of music then switch to literacy for the other half are have music all year
but with doubled up grade level classes with the addition of another music teacher
we could reinstate recorder's in third grade bring back the general elementary
music concerts which have been lost since two thousand and seven performance is an
important part of elementary music education because it builds confidence and able
children to work together toward
a common goal while learning musical skills of tempo and pitch at the very least
the veteran students deserve to have the same equivalent experience as the three
other elementary schools and that is having one single grade at a time perm use
a class let's make music
a positive experience. For all students with the opportunities for sharing in
participating being afforded to each and every child thank you.
To the right of the public comment the same man. Has come to the podium state name
for the record please. Good evening my name is
a Libya shops I'm going to be honest I don't have
a speech written I don't know I was speaking to about twenty minutes ago when I
decided it was not important to me so I'm speaking from my heart I'm sorry if I
like to mess anything up I never want to but it's not important to me that I want
to be here today for this. It's in credibly important to me that this budget is
not cut I know that the town is in financial issues and sometimes it's needed to
make cuts somewhere education is not where it should be I and my brother is in
eighth grade I'm
a senior in high school I've gone through the program I know everything there is to
know about that school I joined the advanced academy when I was in when I was
a freshman and I decided to drop out of it just because there's one course I don't
want to take but I've taken A.P.
Courses I've taken electives I've taken everything the school has to offer and I
have to say that some of the things that made it such
a great experience for me were the the small class sizes the classes who were
offered the classics like. Changed my life completely back class is the best class
I've ever taken in my lifetime and probably is going to say that way. My English
classes they all help me every single class I've had has helped me in
a lot of it is because of the small class sizes
a lot of it is because of the different chances I had to do what I wanted there my
brother is an eighth grade and he's considering going to the OR he's considering
going to cycle and I was saying I want you to go to psych is high there are so many
different options for you there there's
a budget cut he's probably going to end up going to the boat you're going to have
a lot of students that are going to go to the boat and go to other high schools
because it's the high school won't have as much to offer and I would just like to
say that I think that the education the youth we can do so much with it this year
alone we have people going to Harvard people who went to MIT we have so many
successful students and I would hate to see
a different possibilities to not be taking completely because of
a budget thank you the country thing and you keep going.
Through any of the public comment the superman. Has. To say
my name Smith there's only some of you might know me as
a class representative for the senior class so. But I am here to talk about budget
cuts so I'm
a senior and so august high school so these budget cuts won't affect me next year
but when I heard of these cuts it broke my heart because I know that all these
years that underclassmen that I'm sitting here aren't going to receive the same
quality of education that I received as are displaced people. Coming in here I did
apply to private school so that was an option for me I also like Libya I was in the
academy for a little while and continued to take seventy. At
a high school so with those classes being offered there was
a chance that I wouldn't have gone to high school and all the. Clubs and sports
that are offered here. Just one thing but the small
cost the share without even the budget cuts my largest classes which do not make
any sense at all just so you got an idea my. Language and composition classes
twenty five students and it's
a class meant for discussion and that's almost impossible with
a cost of twenty five students. It's more A.P.
Classes are supposed to be like small little groups that are discussion and having
classes with over twenty students makes it impossible so next year I can't even
imagine what the talk of cutting all classes with out
a minimum of twenty students is going to be like because having
a class and I know I could probably speak on the teacher's behalf of like. That's
impossible to teach and grade all that work it's impossible and you not going to
receive the same quality of education if the big and that's one of the reasons I
came here for the small class sizes. And that's how you make the relationships with
your teachers I've gone the pleasure to know in some get to know some teachers
behind me and that's another thing the thing that I'm most upset about is probably
teachers being cut. Some of the teachers that are being cut
I know I haven't been here for I know it goes by like seniority so the teachers
that have been. Most likely going to be the ones that get cut those are some of the
best teachers that I have experience working with at Saugus high school I don't
know if I can talk about one teacher.
I did not have as
a teacher but I'm the president of National So I had the pleasure of working here
with her this year and she is so involved in Saugus high school and she plays such
a key role key role in the high school she's a softball coach she's
a National Honor Society She's
a junior class advisor she runs scheme board and she's only been here for three
years and I don't think that's fair that she deserves to get cut just because she's
only been here for three years when she's taken on hard honors classes now she's
teaching and maybe one day she'll teach and A.P.
Costs which is more than qualified for but I just don't think just so you got
a little bit of
a sense. Today we went to our state conference and we won the
game ended chapter we're at it so we got recognition in a state and that's
a really big thing for us. Only
a few other schools in the state recognize and has really changed N.H.S.
Culture here talking to high school I don't know if you think this is important but
a few years ago we were just known for budget this year we did community events all
around the town of Saugus doing
a trash mob in the fall in December we volunteered. For
a week helping them with their tour drive and delivering them delivering their
gifts we just gone to the soldiers home. Our match March Madness week for charity
raised two thousand dollars for the Wounded Warrior Project So these of these great
things that are happening at our school would not be possible without these amazing
amazing teachers and advisers. So I just urge you to think of that.
And I know it's
a lot easier said than done from this money you need to change the budget but. You
guys are our voice and I just we need you to fight for us because Thank you we
don't want to have anyone I know we don't want we have and we want to you know our
voice that we need to fight prosperous and I know some of you I have I know you
have a son high school you have
a daughter and son coming are I know you want to probably I know you probably want
them there receive the same education that I receive and I don't think it's fair if
they don't and I don't think it's fair for these teachers to be cut so we think we
know I mean look at Saugus produces awesome students like you know we want to keep
it that way you should be very proud of yourself and.
Public comment to see.
I mean is and ratty and I want to come up first going off to come up again I don't
want to be awkward so OK. I'm not going to cry every thing that's already been said
by trying to say Toto support everything and Sammy all of you have said. Like
a living I have a brother coming up I mean he's
a freshman now and you know I've been in the academy
a lot and it is an immense part of my life. And I just kind of I know you guys are
already convinced of all we're saying and so I kind of I'm just here to add some
more like supporting arguments. So this year. I know it's hard
I know cuts have to be made somewhere and I know that in other towns when faced
with
a similar struggle like this usually the first things to go are the arts departments
are the language departments and I just kind of want to say that you know we have
this idea that it has to be stemming English Those are the most important things
but truly from my perspective the language department Spanish an attack Spanish and
why and have been the things that have been like most present and most powerful in
my life there is I was high school and in my college applications it's really given
me a leg up and teachers they are educators but when you go to
a big school and you only have three guidance counselors it's just it's not enough
you know so
a lot of our students see guidance in other teachers and my Latin teacher and my
Spanish teacher Latin I've had her for years Mr Li and Mr Nada had her freshman
year and again last year for the Spanish. They're so much more than teachers
and I think we all have had someone in our lives like that hopefully an educator
like that and I mean so much more. And had so many opportunities. To
me and to other students that some of us had were selected for
a Samsung sponsored. Stem Academy at MIT that I didn't know existed until brought
to my attention by one of these teachers. COLLEGE APPLICATIONS colleges I didn't
hear of helping me with my essay. Helping me pick the right colleges that will give
me
a chance to actually afford college so much more just being there when you're having
a bad day. And so. I just wanted to say that I
know it's hard. But I just urge you all to when you advocate for us to
remind them that it's easy. To cut a name on a piece of paper it's easy to cut
a Spanish teacher and
a Latin teacher. Maybe. But you have to remember that this year
your people and they make
a tremendous. Impact. And
know. If you can just relay that message. We will.
About the young lady was very eloquent in her comments and we we will we do
advocate we need you to come to the meetings we need you to come to the Finance
Committee meeting in May We need you to come to the town meeting and stand up in
the front of the fifty members who decide what we get for money and be as eloquent
and be as emotional as you are now because we're only five people we need your help
everybody that's in this audience we need you personally to be at these meetings
and explain what you feel as the students and and your parents for what the schools
need We're only given the amount of money we're given we don't ask we ask for
a million a million dollars
a million seven and we were told that the recommendation was only going to be four
hundred thousand we didn't choose that figure we didn't ask for that figure that's
what the town is saying they're going to give us and you know it's a it's
a trite saying when they say you're preaching to the choir but you certainly are
but if it doesn't go on deaf ears and we will with the administration do what we
can to make that change we need you guys everyone that's here tonight and ten times
old up come to the Finance Committee me I'm sure that your principles will give you
the dates that they are all the administration will give you updates come to me
when the when the budget is. Discussed you have
a right to get up here and speak and if there's one hundred students that are up
there to speak speak your mind speak your emotions that's what we need we need you
to speak for yourselves and to help us where we're only the voice of an elected
bunch of people that ask us to help out but you know other ones and your parents
are the ones that kind of vote these people in and out and tell them this is what
we want so please make
a ring bring yourselves and your voices in every want to your friends tell your
friends fill the building up get up there and speak when they ask for public
comment you have
a right to get up there and speak you can't be denied that right so I mean it's not
like it's not accepted here that what you say we all know it we live it with the
administration every day these are not cuts that we are advocating And these aren't
cuts that we've agreed to at all but based on the amount of money that's been
recommended four hundred thousand dollars is not enough to run the schools the way
we need to run them so thank you for being here and I'm sure there are going to be
more great comments but you know you had all your clubs all your National Honor
Society Come come as
a group come as individuals hundred people two hundred people come to this town has
never seen one hundred students show up at
a meeting it's never happened I'm sure that's an easy easy figure for you guys to
come up with one hundred students to come up to
a meeting if you're if you're as eloquent and emotional as you are now you can't
help but make
a dent on some of these mines and and get people to support what we think we need
so THANK YOU THANK YOU GUYS WE feel the same way you do we certainly do when you
think it's coming out of. Because we know what the schools mean to the. Kids
how we grow up the teachers we grew up with we still have the memories who guided
us in life sell them to. Name for the record
please Kenny I'm just. So we're here on the behalf of twenty sixteen I'm the
concert presented and I'm cost twenty six vice president So basically today we had
a meeting with our costs and we were just talking about the budget cut and everyone
was saying how cutting the budget means cut and there's going to be less teachers
and not only is that can impact our education it's going to impact where we go to
college and my class I very very proud of we were very prestigious and I
think that we are the future doctors and we're the future of lawyers and I think
we're one of the most impressive classes that Saudis has seen so. Much and I
was. Was you know I think that
you know some also say one of the better classes too but OK so
I definitely agree with all of what Taylor has said and I agree that twenty fifteen
is also one of the most amazing cos it's obvious high risk. And that's mostly due
to the academy program that was started their freshman year this program offered
multiple A.P.
Courses to be taken by students all throughout the year their schedule was
basically planned out as freshman so they knew just how many A.P.
Courses they would be taking all for their four years and this Sat schedule allowed
them to plan and organize and help them prepare for college just as
a freshman so they knew everything that they were going to face down the road and
with all these A.P.
Courses that they were able to take with this program I mean some of the most
amazing like students were accepted to Christie just call just such as MIT are bird
like that's just crazy for Assad and you know with applying to college and if your
name was. So. Different from yours coming out just
kind of like we. We're getting you know gypped and deprived verification because
with A.P.
Classes and you know the student teacher ratio going it's not going to only factor
education but it's going to affect where we're able to attend college when they
look at our school profile and they see you know are the classes we offer or maybe
our you know
a less than other schools in the ratio of teachers to students is higher they're
going to you know some of the colleges are going to laugh at us I don't know if you
want to level out. That's actually. But I want to be able to
make sure that with our students with all of our great students in the potential
that we have that we're able to reach that potential and not be set back at all
because our school profile is
a little you know less competitive than other schools. And I said before with the
especially the foreign language apart and with that that although it's seen as one
of the less important departments or however. It is one of the most important to us
as students and being able to take these A.P.
Language classes really is going to enhance our education and allow us to. Any A.P.
Courses if the college accepted to. Get out of college and especially with
an A.P.
Language class. And not only with just these classes with the
teachers being cut whom these classes and said this before but they're not just
teachers to us as students their mentor is even best friends like I mean I'm
just going there names like especially. Now and I've had the pleasure of working
with her all four years of three years up until now who buys her and I work hand in
hand with her throat these three years and just the talks the advice she's given me
not only with school but we just life in general it's truly just amazing
I think I can speak for most of her class mispronounce Willis teachers that you can
go to with any kind of problem any time of the day and she can always you know give
you the advice you need in she can is always she's always there to help you she is
not only a school in a concert visor she's
a mentor and someone like guards and someone that we trust and go to with all of
our problems. These codes aren't just going to impact our education but they're
also going to really impact us as people. Think
it's. Meeting with sex. Thank
you you thank.
Yes there any of the public comment the same thing just come to the podium please.
State your name for the record. Good evening my name is Richard
a teacher at Saugus high school. And also
a resident Saugus once we got to agenda items the first one is the S.P.C.
. Face of education coming up on April twenty seventh.
Pretty funny that I typically go unfortunately I won't be able to make it this year
I'll be returning from one of the school trips that you guys sponsor and I have
always endorsed this is really
a way to get in there thank you once again and I'm going to stretch it all out well
for those who are here tonight or watching at home to NOT have never heard of the S
B C case of education I implore you to get involved I want to go to have
a great time the money raised goes directly back to the kids through their schools
and it's going tough times an event like that is something that we have to support
So for those of you who aren't so now you've got to talk about of it's April twenty
seventh. The other item I'd like to speak of it is one it's not nearly as black and
it's the budget reduction plans that we're going to be seeing tonight. A few years
ago so I guess high school went through its accreditation and we were faulted in
several areas some of which were out of our control the quality of the building
things of that nature were also cited for having
a mission statement one that no one really understood it was plastered on our wall
and we pointed toward the beginning of the year but when asked to express what it
meant to us as students as faculty we really could not express that idea when we
were cited for that a committee was formed and we decided to create
a new mission statement and we got together and we started Think of what is it we
believe and we realized what we believed we believed in these kids and it's hard
not to believe in these kids they rock you Sarge. We know that you know that we
know that you know that mission statement we believe in saved from pride and all
the other we believe statements that go with it are heartfelt from the staff and so
I guess I school and I feel as if they're heartfelt from the staff of the entire
public school system here inside this I'd like to think that we make our decisions
based on that mission statement at least I do when I decide to change my curriculum
to try to bring
a new primary source for my students to read it because I believe that they will
believe it's an exciting thing in history to see something wrong they're citing
Bellarine but I haven't read that but I believe in our kids I think they can be
challenge I think they can reach new heights in the Mission Statement capsule it's
that. That's the success story that we put forth every day and it's pretty
personified in the young men and women who are in our schools I got thinking what's
the district's mission statement because as
a school employee for the past fifteen years I had never read it so I went on to
the World Wide Web and I found that mission statement it is the mission of the
Saugus public schools is to educate challenge in empower students to be lifelong
learners and to achieve excellence with integrity in the twenty first century as
productive caring and contributing members of our society gradually you guys are
doing that but I'm not sure if the decisions that are made when it comes to budget
reductions are made with that mission statement in mind and I say that because
today my colleagues many of them were told about budget cuts and some of them were
told that they might be losing their jobs it's
a tragic story and it's not one that's foreign to our ears we've been there. We
don't want to go there again you're right we need to be at that town meeting I've
been at plenty of town meetings in the past and unfortunately I have seen town
meeting members close discussion on budget issues so that happens we're going to
need you guys to scream and yell it will be unfair if these kids voices are not
heard in addition to that I was embarrassed today when I received an e-mail
for a posting of
a position for the next school year it's about forty five thousand dollars for an
employee of the district who can work an entire year without ever talking to
a kid we're going to be laying off teachers and we're hiring someone else who can
work the entire school year without talking to
a single kid I'm sorry if we're making decisions for our future we're laying
teachers off how can we be not hiring those people and putting money forward to
people who are going to work in an office and not talk to kids. I don't know if you
guys are making decisions based on this mission statement that you have I know that
when I present myself in front of my students my mission statement is behind me the
entire way I only hope that you guys move forward you do the same thing thank you.
Thank you. Thank you
for. The many of the public comment to see.
I was really planning on staying in
a mining wreck of Cooper and my son Sean attends the Ballard School He's four years
old he attends a special education program. I know the city is the town's had
a lot of financial difficulties over the years and his principal had told me that
the city was planning on making cuts to the educational programs. Joint seen some
great progress going to the ballet school is now starting to talk and
a lot of the advances come from his teachers and the people that are there to
support him and I just don't think that the financial difficulties of the town that
have resulted from the adults in this town should be the burden of the students of
this town it's really it's really something to me to see the adults of this
community say that we're going to cut back the students cut that the people who
need it in that the most out of everybody I mean there's there's probably
a lot of ways we can cut back in the city that don't have to affect the music
programs in the special education programs in the programs in the high school I
didn't attend Saugus high my brother did but I just don't think that this is the
right way or the proper way to go about fixing the financial deficits that were not
created by the people who are going to be burdened by these cuts thank you very
much thank you. Thank.
You any other public comment deceive me.
Hi. Michelle supercard I noticed you had to record
a lot of I didn't plan that sorry. Things with her about your.
Interest to me. So today I I came to advocate for my students and at the end of the
day I just I would like to make it clear that this this doesn't come down to me I
am one person it's you know I can go out and I can go find another job in another
district that's not going to be
a problem for me but what I need to come here and advocate for is my kids in
everybody who's standing here today because they deserve better education and what
it comes down to is that they as
a whole feel very slighted and they feel that as they are students in this district
they don't have
a voice in nobody is listening to them and nobody is looking out for them they're
hearing about all these budget cuts and they're thinking about their experiences in
school in school sports in school activities in you know most of them pay as much
to play softball then you know if you go to a different school they pay for
a very rigorous I.C.T.
Course. And when push comes to shove they pour their all into everything
they do. And they are proud to go to Saugus high and it's
a shame that so many of them at this current point in time feel ashamed of their
high school and ashamed of their town because this from what I've seen as
a great town I love these kids they're amazing they have so much promise They're
incredible and they're outstanding and you know what someday they're really going
to be something and what it comes down to is how are they going to come back and
how are they going to look at their community are they going to look at their
community of Saugus and are they going to say you know what my town really was in
the middle of of
a financial crisis and they pulled through and they really supported us or are they
going to look back and are they going to say well you know my school didn't really
advocate for me and I felt really slighted and I felt like I wasn't really
important so I'm not going to join the alumni association I'm not going to choose
to buy
a house in Saugus I'm not going to be part of this community anymore because they
didn't support me when I needed it the most and when you look at all these kids
here I don't know about you but I've never seen as many seventeen and eight year
old eighteen year old children at
a school committee meeting they they are clearly very passionate they clearly have
very very strong opinions as to what should happen to their school. So first I just
wanted to speak on their behalf Secondly I am also
a foreign language teacher and I have been presented with over the past couple days
the thought of cutting the middle school foreign language department into even
though I don't teach at the middle school the foreign language department the high
school will be very dramatically impacted and the College Board OK which is the
system that dictates what A.P.
Students can take and what not specifically identifies a school that can have in
a piece managed language program as a school that has
a. Accessible middle school foreign language program so by cutting the middle
school foreign language program you are in. In theory also completely entirely
eliminating the A.P.
TRO Graham So if these students don't get the opportunity to have
a foreign language in the sixth seventh and eighth grade they can't come up to the
high school in pursue their foreign language studies because they will not be
eligible to go and take the A.P.
Exam it's just it's not that's that's what the College Board dictates A.P.
Language or A.P.
Spanish is your five it's not your four and that's what it comes down to it's by
eliminating these programs it does have
a very very serious impact on our kids fluency in
a second language it's becoming so much more popular for when our kids go home when
they're looking at postgraduate studies when they're looking at graduate schools
it's not uncommon to go and find on a list of requirements fluency in
a second language proficiency in
a second language so if now we're going to start limiting them and if we're going
to take away the high school are the middle school Spanish they're not going to
have that opportunity they're not going to be able to make it through all of those
courses in successfully complete
a foreign language curriculum when you're talking about development the way foreign
language in the way your brain develops. The older you are when you start learning
a language the harder it is to learn so if anybody tried to learn
a language starting at fifteen years old it's not that it's pointless because it's
not you can always learn
a language but it's by far not as easy as it would have been if you started at age
twelve like they currently do down at the middle school and by getting rid of those
programs by getting rid of that exposure it's robbing students of
a very important experience as
a department and I know I'm speaking for the part when I say this is not just about
teaching
a kid how to say the book is read in another language OK Our our department is
beyond that our department teaches tolerance our department teaches the dangers of
prejudices in racism and those are very important messages that our kids need to
hear in the here and in the sixth grade in the here in the seventh grade and the
here in the eighth grade then they come up to the high school and they do much more
advanced cultural studies in we're building tolerant students and we're building
these students were building them so if we start getting rid of the programs that
made these kids who they are. You're not going to have these kids or kids like this
sitting in front of you anymore. And I understand that certain things have to you
know it's
a give and take I know that and I know the budget you're being presented with is
you know beyond your control I understand that but when you're looking at things to
cut cutting foreign language programs is really not the way to go it it impacts the
students
a great great deal and not only at the middle school level it impacts them all the
way through it it impacts them at the high school. And that's. Thank you and thank
you thank. YOU THANK YOU
THANK YOU It's not I don't know five big advocates for you guys
then the five people up here we we're going to do everything we can everything
within our power with out of our power to not make any cuts believe me the people
who know me know me passion and will not I love this town know I love this school
OK I wouldn't live anywhere else I wouldn't send my kids anywhere else and we're
going to fight until they take us till they drag us out of there and not make any.
We still need help from others we do we need it all but you know what it is we're
in it with you. So many of the public comment to see evening.
My name is Rachel just
a Tessler I'm an English teacher at August high school as want to echo what has
been said so far and I'm so proud of the students that came here today and express
themselves and what they believe I just want to also talk about how everything
works together at the high school one of the things that I've really been impressed
with at our school is how well the drama works with our school and how well all of
the sports coaches work with us if I have
a student that's struggling I know I can talk to
a coach and that that coach and. I can both talk to that student and that's
something that can motivate students who aren't who are struggling to sort of
recommit to what they're doing and to recommit to school and the idea of not as
many kids playing sports or doing drama. I think it just it hurts me when I think
about how dramatically that's going to affect so many of our kids and I know you
guys know that because it's for
a lot of them that's what brightens them up and that's what makes them feel
motivated and that's what helps them bond with their other students and what helps
them see the school is their ally and I just hope that we continue to see those
things as as valuable as they are as well as the academics.
There any other public comment to see evening. To hash.
Still have to state name gradually it would miss the Hashemite So I guess I can
rather than the power principal of high school I was going to speak to I promised
myself I wouldn't speak tonight but it's hard not to speak to what my students and
stuff. And. I just want everybody to know I understand that you're in there
fighting I hope that everybody's in there fighting I need everybody to understand
that I'm out here fighting for preservation of all these programs and. The students
and staff were asked to be here tonight in fact
a lot of them asked me if it was appropriate to be here tonight and I said they
have to do what they feel is right if that's something they feel very strongly
about so you have to know that in just one day all of you know rumors of the budget
reductions and and that happening this is how many students you have coming out to
fight where they believe and you also have seniors in this audience that already
spoke that have really nothing vested in it it's not going to affect them
personally but it's going to affect their school it's going to affect their
community and I'm very proud of them as
a principal I could be more proud of the students and staff that I. It means we're
doing something right it really does and I'm not pat myself on the back because I'm
certainly not doing it alone I have a great staff I have
a great student body and I just I couldn't sit here without saying how proud I am
of them and hopefully people will see this and hopefully we can raise to rise to
the challenge and make this happen so I thank you all for your support and thank
you thank you.
Any other public comment. On this account
just so let you know that what you may have heard of budget cuts. Have not been
finalised. It's up to this committee to decide what the budget cuts will be we
certainly get recommendations but we will be sitting down when the time comes
usually it's after the town meeting approves what OP budget will be when we know
what we get for funds which will probably be in June when we'll decide what we cut
when we cut and how we cut so there are suggestions out there there is
a presentation by the superintendent but by no means is that the final word not if
by
a long shot I intend to take the budget that we have here and I've actually spoken
to
a few of the school committee members I intend to take the budget and go through it
with
a red pen and stock cotton here in the if we have to cut out certain items if that's
a thousand dollars in the line item cut ten percent of it is one hundred dollars
when you go down every line and we cut ten percent here ten percent there this
isn't really essential right now if it's it's nice to have but if we don't have it
and we needed somewhere in the future we cut it so that we minimize the cuts we
have to make at the beginning so by no means is this going to be the final. Even
these reductions will be on the board he said these are just recommendations
nothing has been finalized again the superintendent isn't ministration will make
suggestions but it's up to us as
a committee to decide where those cuts are going to happen so I don't I hope that
nobody and I trust that nobody has done this but I don't want anybody to feel that
there is Skia tactics being used that we're going to cut this. Nothing is finalized
everything is on the board and that's not just. It could be supplies it could be
pencils It could be paper it could be
a lot of things it could be travel ounces it could be two thousand and things that
we don't need to do this year for. Professional dues for organising.
We might forego that for
a year or two you know when when your family decides that they want to go to Disney
World for vacation and your budget allows you to go to Hampton Beach instead well
then you start making different decisions and that's what we're going to be end up
doing so I don't want anybody to feel that anything is cast in stone we will be
making some hard decisions but again there's nothing nothing written down that
isn't on the board and. I want to second
everything the midst of about he just said none of us want to see T.
Just cut that's that's the absolute last resort expression I mean what we're
presented with tonight is is. Hopefully not what we're going to see happen I can't
thank you but I can tell you the five of us do not want to see teaches and programs
that's an adult and we will fight tooth and nail so that doesn't happen and we do
understand how important it is all of these things sports included I don't haven't
heard too many people come up and speak about the sports but that that's very
important to a lot of kids
a lot of kids that keeps them so they have to keep their grades up and they work
for their grades without
a lot of the kids wouldn't excel in their academics so we understand the full round
and we don't want to see anything taken from students we really don't and we all
live in the. Majority of us and we get it believe me we get it
and haven't you here tonight is very impactful and I really appreciate you coming
out I Appreciate You Porn your heart out in that's what the town needs to hear the
entire town needs to hear from you they don't want to hear it from us we want
everything we voted that budget you know in the sky we want to see everybody get
everything but we need you to tell us and we need you to tell the community how it
impacts you and how these cuts will impact you we need you guys to speak at all
because that's what empower your voice will be heard if you come in you speak in
little empower you you guys are the future of this town you guys will be running
this town someday so we want to see you guys in how would we want to see you have
all these things and Saugus does wonderful things it does I mean there's there's
been some great colleges and we'll talk about that later tonight that you've all
been accepted to and and you know past students have been accepted to you doing
great things we want to see that continue we're going to be old some day and you
guys are going to be taking care of us I know some of us that are probably going to
never leave this town so we want to happen so I appreciate you guys all come in and
I appreciate all the staff for all that you do for these kids and I know. The
majority of staff that we have are so much more than teach is they actually my kids
go to school here you know past and present so we get it we really do we built this
budget on what you guys deserve and that's what we're going to fight for I mean I
personally like to make a motion now to have
a hiring freeze on anything I mean I don't think we should be I agree missile Voigt
we should be hiring anyone right now. So we get this worked out so
at this time I'd like to make a motion that we have
a hiring freeze. The challenge second is.
The seventy discussion. Mr Boesky.
I know. I know the position to which Mr low voice is referring to and I don't
believe that position. Is for this year doesn't start until July
first the problem with that position is. That's
a that's almost a mandated position it's
a reporting position. I realize but the state mandates that this is
commit the state and they'd still state mandates that the superintendent can
obviously jump in on this talk with I'm not first thing I did when I saw it I was
upset that it went to forty seven to fifty five thousand dollars but the position
that that. Leave the duties of that position on mandated reporting
of statistics and well maybe you can explain to your the position in question is
the data specialist position that we've had for four years it was reduced in
compressed last year with the last year's round of cuts in. Already we
have we had to two ways we're looking at that position we have someone in an
interim role with that position right now on staff. Who is getting us through
because the it's open now because of
a resignation and that's what we're looking for the idea that this school committee
approved and I presented to them was to see if we can replace that position build
the pool of applicants and then also we're waiting to see what we have for
available funds for that position but that's why that is out there now we have an
interim person as we so often do. In Saugus going above and beyond
OK someone is someone in teach counselor in Saugus high. End who
is very adept at that what we're trying to do is make sure we can. That is
a critical function to maintain the X.
To system to update with the new since reporting in other dry. Matters that has
to has to happen every every district has that position so. But
we definitely hear what people are saying in there as does the committee and we
will look at that position OK so. It's not a it's not
a it's it's not an additional position we're not adding to the situation because of
a resignation it's a position and. It's
a requirement for reporting purposes for our. Meeting the.
The word I want mean the requirements of department of elementary secondary
education it has to be reported on a. It might be multiple times as
a this is a point of order there's
a motion on the floor and I'm spitting on the yes and yes speaking on the motion
and squoze to outside discussion and no disrespect to the superintendent or anyone
else is
a motion on the floor. This
is anything else you want it to be in just to clarify the motion till we have the
budget worked out I mean I'm not I don't want to I refuse for twenty years I way I
want till my question is. Right and that's.
Why. There is
a motion on the floor unless you want to withdraw the motion at this time like it.
Was. At this time I don't have enough information to vote on that and I won't
support it at this time I think later after we review and have discussion on all
the other. Proposals. Does anyone else have anything.
On This is Serino smoke all in favor and opposed no no
no she passes three days too and only. Based on what you just said it's
hard to make
a blanket. Judgment. Based on things that we don't know
where we stand and what we need. To understand all the needs that we have
but I just I don't want to make a judgment without having
a little more discussion about it but it is the way it is. Time.
Yet. I didn't try to get in can I. Can you know she's off the floor.
With the motion the only thing that I and I tried to put in there but the only
thing that we have some are positions and we have other regularly occurring
positions. And also unfortunately about
a very topic particularly with some of the passionate presenters tonight so should
there be jobs should people resign and we don't have people in front of students
and there could be scenarios that I just want to say I would bring to the to the
committee I'm going to situations I'm going to suggest that the motion did pass Yes
And as we go through the budget that may be amended moving forward and if not I
mean some help I know you didn't the part that's what it is. That we have some room
program especially the program. And why don't we why don't we discuss
the budget and we can revisit it later on in the next just as long as we have.
These. I understand what was it was more administrative
and. Thank you. For you I just want to let everybody know that we
got here everyone says about the conditions of the buildings and how they look and
all that and we've always said and I know I have said it's not about the condition
of the building if the teacher is in it and we know that it's the teaches that run
it all you can have the principal you can have the the man you can have school
committee but it is your teachers that do it all and that's who teaches you and
that's who gets you to go to these awesome colleges and we are really proud of that
so I just want to let you know that and I just got to state that that's the first
time I've ever cried it
a school. And I don't want to. And I thank you again for coming you guys really
stuck up for what you believe is something you're teaching and your parents have
taught you so very proud of the wonderful job to do you really do.
And now we have student representative report. You can't
make her cry.
Right now we're just planning. I'm going to be at the high school
perfect party and we're planning our senior week. Which we're going to. Go.
To and you like to be fun. So.
Thank you. We have many of the student
representatives.
Representing the cost of twenty six so upcoming We have. May fourteenth it could be
from five to nine. And then we have
a dance for elementary school students in grades three to five and that's going to
be on June twelfth and that's going to be at Saugus high and just like the dances
we've done before and it's going to be our end of the year and so it's you know to
kick off summer and the end of the year and then we also have
a frozen themed breakfast that we're planning with the cost of twenty seventeen in
the day time and location of that is actually to be decided we haven't really.
Found one yet we had one but then it was all books so you have to. You have to find
you so you have right now we're just trying to plan for senior year and plan for
you know senior week in prom after prom and graduation fun so.
The column is well May fourteenth that's
a school committee so there is going to. Come aboard the one that has all of the
core classes and all the classes yes. And they're going to have other things there
as well. It's nothing I think they're planning on three levels.
Yes Actually four I never get to with. For some time because
this one is actually on we could we could go before. Thank you thank you.
Before we do they have that we simply will in between between two.
And. Never seen us before you can say that's going to do and now they're going
to do and how it ended up doing the think it's going to have. Maybe
we can begin. So far as you guys haven't seen this in
a while and I'd like to explain so we were both actually really busy with the
school's wonderful duction. Which was the play of the Jungle Book I think we
mentioned it
a little bit. And so we took that play to. The fast drama festival is my first time
going and we did wonderful We passed
a preliminary level so we made it to semifinals we won countless awards are two I
won an acting award for mostly as
a very convincing and boy. I'm
a wonderful stage manager every Ross Yes she won two awards both in the preliminary
level and the semifinals she won the stage manager award only awarded to one person
and one stage manager so we did. And now we. Are actually both.
The school has started our spring production this critical hairspray so now this
program. Is working on that she said
a line as if you see the date that's the end of the sixteenth when it's just three
days that there's
a Friday Saturday where ever the sixteenth so fifteen sixteen. Seventeen
yeah probably the fourth. I didn't see anything in the paper both those who would
talk on the how come the previous didn't have anything about. What you needed to
publish. So exciting yeah it was really
it was
a great fun it was really meet new people things. Second thing to talk about it and
pass which was actually last week so for the software's it's the end cast that they
have to pass to graduate so never acting for them but great for us because we get
to sleep in. A school provided them breakfast in the morning so that they would be
nourished and everything to take the test. Coming up on April seventeenth our
school's going to do the annual Day of Silence which is just some kids pledge to go
silent for the entire day and school teacher support that so you know. You don't
have to answer questions that day so you're pledging for the day of silence in
support of lesbian gay gender transgender students just in support of. You know to
eliminate all the any prejudice and just to give accept and be acceptance full
support. And. Spread the word and just recently we had
a wonderful presentation. And so it was the peer as anyone
here from America. So they. Put on
a wonderful presentation both the special education students and the pair together
and it was wonderful there was
a video. And they basically just spread the word to the word the
misuse and just the hurtful use of the R.
Word that was another teacher oh yeah I see guys where there was
a very there was another teacher and it was really really fun to see just between
everyone coming together and coming out they do. Actually I'm talking about today
at the N.H.S.
Conference I attended it along with other officers and some other students and we
got the commended chapter word S.T.M.
Already mentioned which is really awesome be like noticed by the state and to be
rewarded for everything that we've accomplished this year we also put on
a workshop and we taught in this mad dash prioritising your.
Maximum. Prioritizing is basically on time management. The workshop
we gave them two minutes to do like fifty things but they're all worth different
points so we let them do it once on their own and then we've got them strategize
a second time so they can realize how to manage their time and then we told them
how to apply it to their real life and how that can help them with everything that
they do because if they're not a chance. More than likely they're in
a multitude of other things National Honor Society but the public knows what you're
talking about everyone in the room knows. A little bit about sports.
So with all the snow and the snow just kept coming there has been some back while
with some of the sports I know I participated in track and we've gone almost five
weeks now without
a meet and for some kids five weeks of just conditioning without any competition is
really hard but coming up on Tuesday and Thursday we'll have our first meets and I
know all the other sports teams as well are having their first game their first
games tennis had their first match cancelled unfortunately but in the weeks to come
we'll have many of those sporting events coming up and with you guys and the three
seasons. And also we just had our meeting for the trips and then the trip to
Billy's which is in June we just talked about like the guidelines the rules we all
got excited some of us got the goody bags for our trips from our advisors taking us
we got to meet with the chaperones and it's all in all talk about our itinerary and
things like that and I'm really excited I'm going to Italy France has been used to
really excited. And then just senior year well our senior year.
And Senior Week this year is really exciting we're going through both the Red Sox
game and park so we've really been working to get feedback from the students
themselves or the seniors see what they want to do and that's what we're working
towards now so. You.
There any of the student group here and I.
Next we do have approval of minutes. And I know the minutes weren't included in the
packet so we could just table do to the next meeting if you don't mind to be able
to the next school committee meeting three minutes of March nineteenth March twenty
sixth seconds and
a discussion. All in favor post motion passes unanimously.
And. Next we do have voting the warrants museum Bruce is there anything you'd like
to highlight on this warrant and represents just general budget and sprinkling of
stood next to the items that are being paid nothing out of the primary. Committee
have any questions yes ma'am sure the Super Bowl that's not on the right that's
showing the world you know it's time to. TIME What was the.
Question of whether something that I noticed tonight was on the war and she said no
. It's really I make
a motion to prove the words dated April ninth two thousand and fifteen foot.
And Director of Finance and operation of the amount of ninety five thousand three
hundred thirty seven dollars and fifty three. In the chill seconds and the
discussion all in favor and I posed. In the in the slip.
It's we do have the financial report. Thank you. As of
February twenty eighth two thousand and fifteen aside this public schools has
expanded and encumbered fifteen million one hundred ninety six thousand four
hundred ninety six dollars against the appropriation. Eight months of the fiscal
year having passed we are still on track in our spending for the most part there
are
a couple areas of concern. The first area of concern that I have at this time is utilities
it's a. At this high school I think this is
a concern that's been shared by the committee and only by the ministration in we've
been watching that the budget for both the electricity and heat were spent by the
beginning of April with the March April May and June bills still to be paid for
this reason you will see in your packets that I am requesting
a budget transfer to be made to move excess funds from the sick leave by back line
item in the amount of thirty eight thousand to
a literate city and thirty five thousand to the feeding line item. I feel that my
projection will be sufficient to cover remaining cost of the end of the year
Additionally the electricity budget balance has also been spent as of the beginning
of April and based on my reply projection I am requesting an additional three
thousand be transferred from again the sickly buy back line item to the valid line
item. The last year of your concern at this time as
a legal expense line item and I'm requesting ten thousand dollars be moved from
sick leave by back to cover these expenses the total amount being requested to be
moved from sick leave by back is eighty six thousand this year we had. A couple
less retirements than last year
a maximum column and stuff so that the total projected expense in this line item.
Or actual sickleave buy back will be one hundred forty four thousand ninety one
dollars and sixty seven sons and that will fulfill all retirements that I know as
of today there is no one who will not have
a sickly five documents. To ten thousand was previously transferred from
a line item with the additional eighty six thousand one hundred forty four ninety
one thousand and sixty seven cents will leave the line item of the budget balance
of twenty five thousand nine hundred eight dollars thirty three cents to cover
additional costs is needed whether it's another spontaneous retirement before the
end of the year even. Going to plan track that we don't need to actually pay it but
we always do so that'll cover that or something else. Into so nervous food
service subcommittee and I along with the Tampa German officer Chris O'Neill have
been working to prepare the our people of food service management company you will
find the proposed R P In your packets for approval the February point
a sales report is enclosed in this packet as well as the total obligation report
I'm in the process of modifying the lottery that it will be sent to parents and
guardians of
a food service obligation so that it reflects the district's new adopted collection
policy. In your packets you will see the grants of February twenty eighth two
thousand and fifteen again directly from Eunice the revolving accounts the
assistant town accountant has cleared up many of the issues in the revolving
accounts so that we now have access to pay invoices and I'd like to thank her for
that and everyone in the Accounting Office the town hall for their help with that
I'm not able to directly report from munis at this time because the budgets in
those accounts still need to be worked on but at least we're able to see our
revenue expenses clearly so when you. Package you will find the reconciled
revolving account balances as of February twenty eighth two thousand and fifteen.
This still
a few things I need to look at those balances of the fourth valances. Once again
you have budget transfer number fourteen. In your package to move eighty six
thousand dollars from sick leave my back is this high heating saga Sila to city now
little electricity and legal expense. Budget Tritter number fifteen is
a request to move ten thousand and eighty dollars from a recent turnover in
a Belmonte special education teacher line item to the following lines six thousand
one hundred thirty to the ballot custodial line item to correct the salary and nine
hundred fifty dollars to the line to fund additional mandated services he will also
see in that budget that one thousand five hundred forty one dollars is being
transferred from teacher a special education line item. To teacher
a regular education line item which is simply
a typo on my part when I did the budget entry last month so I just want to be
transparent and have that on there. That is my report this month thank you.
I just had
a concern about the for the legal. Because that's. What we're going to do
when we go beyond that and it's time to. Go I think I'm done with the
legal expenses act or. He'd find someone.
New then chairman Mr I'm not going to support this. Budget transfer fourteen
I brought this up several meetings ago I saw it coming not clairvoyant but I did
see it coming. But this is this is this is ridiculous we have
a green here on from June fourth of twenty fourteen regarding energy conservation
with National Grid incentive program at Saugus high school. First page and I'll be
far more than happy to give this to anybody in summary the combined projects will
save over two hundred twenty thousand. Dollars annually in the first year
physically if if Team which is in
a year now after the initial investment is greatly offset by the incentives from
the National Grid the impact would be over eighty eight thousand dollars positive
the Saugus we're is our eighty eight thousand dollars in savings when we're
transferring sixty thousand dollars out of
a sick leave buyback program to come A bills that are currently coming due wish
post to be saving money on this thing we fronted in if I'm not mistaken sixty seven
thousand dollars this figure here in this report says we'll we was always supposed
to fund front sixty three thousand dollars so as during our discussion the question
of brose arose about we had to find the initial investment. We had also discussed
that National Grid will also provide on bill financing for
a certain portion of the net cost of just over seventy one thousand leaving
a net investment by Saugus of just over sixty three well we didn't invest sixty
three or invest at sixty seven. So if Saudi selects to move forward the
combined projects the return via utility savings directly to the bottom line will
be one hundred fifty one thousand dollars plus or
a net positive return of eighty eight thousand my question is and I know you don't
have the answer it's
a rhetorical question which is our eighty eight thousand dollars in savings we
sweet talked about this for
a while and everybody said Great we're going to have energy efficiency we're going
to have eighty eight thousand in savings and we're not having eight thousand
savings we're spending more than we ever did and I realize it was
a cold winter but we've been sold
a bill of goods here that we agree to which are eighty eight thousand dollars. Well
. I thought we did have an outrageously cold winter and.
We're going to have but but who's to say we the bills would have been higher than
what we need to have some extra What's
a gauge we gauge is the typical gauge that they use for the utilities and that's
called the Greek debt to agree heating between the Greek days that gives you an
accepted industry figure to figure out how much you should be spending on that but
which are eighty eight thousand dollars job is that I don't know I'd like to find
out whose job it is I think that was the manager who. Stepped. I think
we should because he it was
a guaranteed eighty six thousand because we don't know that we haven't had
substantial savings. High I mean every night event and see that before we sat
trance and you also had national grid in there. As well which nobody you know.
Could control so I think you know that we should just look into that whole thing
that frankly it's a missed shot not be have one happy everything everybody has
a fiscal year fifteen savings total eighty eight thousand six hundred thirty eight
thousand dollars physical year sixteen savings two hundred twenty three thousand
four hundred forty eight dollars if that's the savings for next fiscal year then we
should have NO NO bills because that's supposedly what was save enough of our
expenses I mean it just doesn't make sense to me that we're on the hook for another
. This is both
a left trick and he'd right that's what this was this is for you looking at two
different things one that we had a. Definitely
a colder winter than the year before right which is so you have to look at the
actual therm Romney therms we we need somebody that we need this we need this Mr
Jeff Hanson C.E.M.
Energy management consultants who sign these things and made this projection to us
through the town manager to give us
a report of where US I want to see where our savings are we fronted sixty three
thousand dollars if we didn't have to front that sixty three thousand dollars tab
and sixty seven this is sixty three we fronted sixty seven if we didn't have to
front at sixty seven with
a projected return we would have had enough money in the accounts to pay the bills
and not have to transfer because I was hoping to have some of this money that we're
transferring to use for some more important. Activity that we might such as
buying books for next year that we now don't have that opportunity to do it what
will need to do is ask the town manager for an explanation he had he has the
contact person here he's the one who signed Well at this contract with them it was
a great idea and he said it was guaranteed in with that said with the same thing
he's saying we're going to get two hundred twenty three thousand savings into F Y
sixteen so I'd like to have that discussion if we're going to save that much money
. We can apply that to the budget we did the lighting over the summer and some of
these other things didn't happen until late fall they did him in stages correct so
they want all done it one they want all done and I also I did have
a discussion with Mr Mann to receive the other day and I did have my agenda with
the town manager today we didn't get
a chance to meet today but I will follow up on that Mr Mallory see actually
referred to some type of credit that he knew about and I don't know. You know what
it was for but his credit on the bill. No I don't think it was on the bill but I
was I will have to credit I don't know that's that's what I was going to follow up
for the specificity of I just heard yesterday he was going to follow up to the.
One other point that concert confused thought they discussed what national grid on
bill financing for
a certain fortune of them that costs Well I don't know enough to read the bills to
see if we billion charged enough bills for financing but the way I read this we
shouldn't because we fronted sweep for us I thought three thousand we paid it
upfront but the cost was what you know it says. We also
discussed on bill financing for
a certain portion of the net cost of just over seventy one leaving and net
investment by Saudis of just over sixty three. So are we not only
did we not only. Cost of just over seventy one thousand.
It says that the financing was for the seventy one thousand and Saugus the just
over sixty three thousand which turned out to be sixty seven right but being on
a Bills of financing for the seventy one thousand dollars Also you would know off
the top. Not off the top of my head now that we kept
a look at it. Till the bills are extremely difficult to
try to do you have a meeting with the manager before our next meeting Yeah I have
a weekly main media you know that's good. We see if we can get
you some kind explanations you know on that will put it on next agenda absolutely
a perverted amount of it. Because you obviously have
a copy. When you talk to find out
about the savings for F Y sixteen it's going to be two hundred twenty three
thousand and I don't know why I need fifteen yet but I'm saying is we're going to
talk to fifteen if the savings is too high if we're guaranteed that I don't think
we planned that in the budget. To change. This but
I want to see where it is this year first the yeah absolutely. So from.
That we got the last coating with that. So with that.
We have. We still have
a valid electricity. That needs to be covered. And that's in the same budget
transfer for thirteen I don't know what they do at the bell of the. Day they
do use more classrooms this year than they did. The year before.
So. Well because the because it's lumped together.
So it would have to put
a motion to approve the budget number fifteen and sixteen together and you know no
budget fourteen has all the utilities it has Saugus high school heating electricity
in the ballad electricity all in the same transfer. To human. Because
it's all coming from the same place. We'd need to know if it's
a sun. Kid. Can we do this on the
sixteenth. We're meeting on the minutes when they didn't bring it up or something
the way it did last year phenomenon that's what I'm waiting the two weeks because
we discussed it the cvs thing and I don't we the next meeting his authority has no
no when he says that we have not known that there's. Not
a regular meeting we just work in but since we're discussing it tonight and we
agree we need to make that transfer on this. Is everyone OK with that on the
sixteenth. You make it work the other issues flood you transfer. Fourteen
continues to pound fifteen. Does anyone have any questions on budget transfer of
fifteen. Share and make
a motion to. Approve budget transfer number fifteen. From the chair will second the
discussion fall in favor both or from I mean honestly and
Dr you know we need to. Sign on. To. Stricter
brusquely for. The financial. Report for.
Sure of course. Right now that's what three twenty seven.
World over thirteen thousand dollars for.
That member states it. Was the. Last February was in its.
Children's research and. Has have you gone out and
reached out to figure out how to put out to bid or point out to. Our F.P.
For debt collection agencies to take over those. Of you had the time to do that.
And we came to that. Here. Right now that they can't dictate to us how long we have
to collect fees that are outstanding they can make
a suggestion but they can't tell us of money we have you have to like to see is if
they. Had
a way to hear wizard say that well where's that regulation that says we have to do
that we've got it right you know you have to give proper notice you have to put in
the handbook you have to send home announcements it's kind of like what we do it
all day can we got it in free preschool program you know parents are very well
aware of the consequences if they don't pay that fee same thing with the debt
collection policy so now this is going to cover everything parents need to I mean
it's not going to just cover
a full service. It's going to cover athletics and everything that policy has to be
while we're told somebody give me
a regulation that says that is in fact the way it has to be or it's just
a suggestion. I would like to see and I'm not being argumentative with anybody here
but show me where it says that that's what we have to do. We're on thirteen
thousand dollars for school lunches a world that's unconscionable when we have
a clip and there needs to be repeated things that have to do and we could possibly
provide
a bit of lunch if that money was collected and just to wait should here and wait
for that figure to go up or down for another whole year is not fair to the people
that pay their bills every time the. I think I've never heard that that's a that's
a rule or regulation that we have some calling in in isolation the phone call was
on conference it was
a conference call with the food service Subcommittee and the spokesperson for
Department of elementary and secondary education was not even happy about this
policy she's like why you point to do that just give the child
a cheese sandwich and I said because they pay for paying for the cost of one meal
paying for the cost of
a cheese sandwich and we don't get the funds she owes them if you point to do that
. You can out of this once in
a subcommittee chair she said then you must must make sure the parents know about
this and I would recommend at least one full school year she may recommend that but
I want to see where it states that that is the rule in the regulation. I mean not
a matter of any rational letting the cat out of the cheese sandwich was never
a rule or regulation. I was actually told during the program review audit he had on
even have to give them
a lot and that's not popular exactly which we would never do right so I mean this
is why I mean why breath of of measures that school districts all across the
country take this is not a massacre. Problem is not
a saga but we are by Massachusetts Department about elementary and secondary
education to notify parents to give them proper notice I agree what you're saying
that we were advised but just because we're advised doesn't mean we're required
there's a big difference between advising required and we just had
a bunch of students here advocating about cuts that will make it not that sixteen
thousand dollars is going to change anything in what we're doing but we're not in
the in the ability to give away things when we're talking about cuts thirteen
thirteen thousand dollars that we could possibly spend we have bills here for
repairs of equipment at all the school lunches. Refrigerators walk ins that we're
paying on of. Or out of the this revolving to put both.
You don't know if there's going to be thirteen thousand at the end of the school
year we don't but it's gone up from six to ten to thirteen but people pay and then
somebody else doesn't pay it so it's
a cycle it's not the same individuals. We've been through this in the discussion
if the only one agreed is person. Other than that everyone
that they pay out but then somebody else owes money in the that's how would that.
Doesn't mean that it's not going to be paid by the end of the school year last year
what will we left with unpaid. That really now is racially day and.
Just because sometimes it appears that you're backing up there on tree we've been
working on this and we started working on this
a long time ago we were waiting for the subcommittee to come back with
a recommendation so I had this been done when we first asked it would have been the
year by now but I think the bare minimum to to get it into the hymn books and we're
not saying we have to wait
a year to collect We just have to enforce it but if we get it in the handbooks in
September September and we've got the policy passed now thank you that's
a good policy but. It gets something I mean
a great job. You get them in there you talking about the end of the year the
collective anyway so your time is that we're looking at this to be taking place
next year not immediately this year but you will see that number drastically go
down in. It's not the food service or misandrous that made this number go up so we
need to direct this where it needs to go we get the policy in place which you guys
did you need to think you're getting angry at this number and I understand that but
sometimes it comes across to the people. That of watching your you know that it's
it's the food services fault that this number of. People. Moving
forward this is going to be taken care of period and again just for the public.
This is not. Anyone in need these are just people that have the means in just don't
pay the bill on time but they don't meet the criteria for you know. People like me
who my kid goes in. To luncheon I get
a bill for thirteen bucks. And spend two hundred
like he doesn't need that's. You know.
If you don't mind I just want everybody to be well aware that the deficit in the
food service account which may or may not be caused by these obligations will be
covered by the food service management company so it will not be borne by the way
so in essence it's not that this obligation will take away from educational
initiatives that we need to pay for. And that will also be again in the next P.B.
Made sure to put that language in again right but the companies that are bidding on
the. Look at this and say I have to cut if I want the business I have to cover the
deficit is built into their cost of what they're charging us so in reality.
For their not to give them some the sales of the product does not come out of
a budget but. What we pay them all of the food.
They're not they're not covering the this it wass out of the goodness of their
heart you know they're putting that cost of doing business into their proposal
a lack of
a better term there's no free lunch example right now but they're hoping for sales
to cover goes on and that's the way it works. There's
any question finally. As if you go.
Better munis. I know you stay awake and I actually had
a really great Friday about two weeks to finish writing the big editing it I don't
want to say writing it and sent it to have
a subcommittee each and I was just about to go home and I was always to check my
email and email from the project manager from Eunice and she's going to upload
descriptions Oh we're doing a little bit just to finalize I think
a and and stayed till my. I went home. And
so the description should be forthcoming so next time you see
a budget entry hopefully it will be three different descriptions on three different
pages thanks to the. Almost. Baby steps.
There any of the questions. Superintendents report thank you
Madam Chair the first. Thing that I have on the agenda I'll be obviously has been
fashionably prefaced by many of our students and teachers and I do want to say
before I begin the presentation particularly for some of the points made that
also. For accolades to to the administrative staff I want you to know that
we've met over
a couple of weeks the anticipation with these numbers are. All of us OK all of it
every every program every person every every. Outcome ventral to students.
Is taken very seriously and I also want to preface to that. It's really important
as people are tuned in tonight in as they resent it earlier that I'm going to talk
about it in
a few slides some of the. Kind of what we're up against in terms of how how the
funding works how the budget is created in basically
a couple of terms. That it's important to know because sometimes
they're there in terms like med school spending and other types of things it's
important to be. Conversant in those to understand the process some of the slides
that I'm going to show we compare other towns and we also compare the rate at which
over the past four years. Public schools have been. Really
given
a number as was said by school committee members before in the budget that we have
to work with is many times all the time of the last four years on average much
lower than the surrounding towns but it is also something that I want to say.
Emphatically there's not. A quick answer to this because the budget is already
voted the budget is. There's. The process of it
our goal today in on the sixth in going forward is to make sure that we start
a conversation about why people go you know to the town in
a certain order things that we've talked about for
a lot of time but to tell you the truth the spark of only been here two years but
the spark and energy in this room it's critical for this going forward OK for
change so. Basically the reality is you know I'm not saying
this in
a confrontation way with the I don't mean it like that I'm just going to show you
some of the facts and also some of the ground that we have to gain in the hope in
the takeaway that that I want to have with us is to start the conversation and
maybe think just about how we do that process of course there's
a charter and there's deadlines and there's things like that the town has to do but
the conversations about the budget can happen from the big Right right for the next
year's budget right away obviously we're focused on this but we need to start this
soon OK So the reality is the town of Saugus has as under funded us for many years
and the school department is has definitely been losing round to the other
departments this isn't this is something. All the factors recently exacerbating the
situation are the. Decline of the race the Top funds that many of our programs that
were put in particularly at thirteen were predicated upon in the end also the
increased in Roman of Saga students in vocational charter and private schools and
frankly the expenses of having to operate in will talk about tonight it's already
been spoken about the the overhead for as many buildings that we have that we have
we've been allocated only one. Less than one an app percent for operating budget
this year four hundred thousand dollars over last year's budget you know show you
that the minute. And it also all talked about some of the slides and then we'll get
to some of the things that were put forward many many of which you have certainly
heard about today all right so the first the first slide that I want to show.
All right is this this is the this is the school budget the you're looking at here
. So if you look at beginning it's you can see in
terms of the call in the school department budget budget the percentage increase
from year to year and budget and also the percentage increase over the prior year
in the school percentage of school budget as
a percentage of the town budget OK I will come back to all of these terms and I
have some other slides to compare it to just just for an education on this all
right of which frankly I'm not
a finance major or anything like that we we've been looking at this
a lot so when you look at beginning in. The beginning in zero three.
With. That year excuse me thirteen up excuse me that year that was basically
money was taken off the table from the schools and they started with less money the
end of the previous year the next year on on the on fourteen
we did have
a three point seven seven percent. Increase from the previous year but originally
it was at two point seven three percent and we got to the additional monies that
two hundred sixty five thousand was found was in response to
a partial payment. For an M.B. T.
a Chargeback that was found in I'll get to that too as to how how those things are
in there without making it so dry OK but that was
a long standing charge to the schools where we were paid for the M.B.T.
. We're chargeback in that that increases the net school spending. And I'll
talk about that but it is not part is not actually part of our. Actual operational
budget All right. Last year we had one and
a half percent OK and the blank that's in there under under the four point eight
Total over those years in comparison to the eleven point sixteen is that that's the
three year total comparing what we had over three years increase from our budget of
four point eight to eleven point six M.
For the remaining. Town departments All right what we're trying to do we're not
we're not trying to upset oftentimes I've heard anecdotally sometimes people refer
to you know the budgets already said we're not trying to put firefighters out of
jobs or police out of jobs or things like that but we're just trying to do is
advocate for equity there's twenty nine hundred students all grade levels in here
their futures some of the brilliant futures you saw for trade by the students who
presented tonight all of that that's our board that's my birth OK Twenty nine
hundred students four hundred fifty employees All right so what you know what's
this year four hundred four hundred thousand dollars over last year's budget really
just puts us at. One point four eight percent OK
a little bit less two years of one and
a half percent increases All right that are devastating and I'll get to why that is
OK particularly when people say in general for one of the new had last year what
what happens why can't you make that why can't you make do with
a. Still more but I'll show you that because we have many contracts already in
place with targeting units for which we we are on the hook so to speak for those
steps and lanes increases for people in this case it was almost three times the
amount. Of what we were given OK What we what we are right more than three
times and I'll show you that if we can go to the next size. This is and I don't
want to I don't want to this slide is up there for
a particular reason and it's not only through but I talked to some colleagues they
use a similar approach presentation Denver's use this in
a few other towns in the area use this and I only use this I don't use this to say
we are this town we are that town we should be like this we're Saugus OK We're very
proud of what we do and what we have going to fight to preserve it but when you
look at those the budget increases on the left OK that were approved those are the
types of increases for an average of four and
a half at one five OK Obviously what the reason I have this slide up there is
particularly when we go to town meeting there is. A lot in it is true
argument OK where basically our percentage our ratio OK We're at thirty
nine percent approximately of the total town picture of the budget All right what
is often said it's it's true is that included benefits OK such as health insurance
and debt maintenance other types of things that we that that's still part of the
town's debt all of our debts police and fire all of that we happen to have the most
employees that pay into the things we're the largest department and it's that ratio
OK that I want to talk about You'll notice if you look at the notes from the
different towns and this is by no means complete and I will present more. Thora
want to with some of the local talkable and some of the other. Very dry
financial formulas behind it but what it shows is even though each town
pays its own thing each town still has if we can go to the next next slide each
town this is just from timbers. There they pay
a percentage of things just like we do OK almost the same exact things and it's in
everything else but they still get
a percentage increase OK So basically some towns only have in there you have
a net school spending formula and everything above the net school spending formula
is. Is the things that are in the charge back to us OK but they are not in
a off original budget our operational budget is twenty seven million dollars or
just over for next year twenty seven three seven five whatever it is that's where
we are right for next year to take care of everything that we have to take care of
that's that's our contractual obligations that's books supplies everything and as
you've heard is wealth oftentimes that's the heating bills OK for buildings that
are very old things things that kind of things that shouldn't cut into our
operational budgets OK when you're talking about.
This is the first page of our of our budget that's. In
many of these are out there around on the tables. Our first line that we have
in this was our twenty six nine seven five This is last year's budget our current
budget that's all we operate from our budget for this year as it is as we were
allocated one hundred thousand dollars above is twenty seven three seven five to
fifty. The first the first question that I get often is well why is it so
high what are your fixed costs are fixed costs include all of our contracts OK for
the the multiple groups that we have bargaining is there any any thing in there for
bargaining isn't
a line in nonunion employees but within those within that number OK we have the
creepiest years budget where we've signed on where we negotiated with the teachers
union with these other unions what we're on the on the hook for so to speak that we
have to pay those wages those percentage increases in the those are over what we've
been giving it one and
a half percent all right so that that's the crux of it all right. In just for an
example of that one of just one of those bargaining units is more than. Just one of
them is more than the entire four hundred thousand. OK just one of them all right
there are
a bunch of other totals that go into that as well what we did on this one is we
reduce this line by one hundred seventy four thousand from our original post but
before and the only way we can do that OK is to take it out of line we took fifty
thousand dollars out of this special ed if you see the other district you wish and
why we have reserve accounts the way special ed funding goes in circuit breaker is
you are allocated
a portion of monies in your budget in our we have an exceptional P.P.S.
Director who is on top of every grant opportunity every every way we can stretch
every dollar and in we are going into reserves OK to do this OK.
If you. Next the next part of that I'm sorry it's just oh my SO is.
Not the same is the extended year program to many of our programs as you know from
athletics which we'll talk about later some of our transportation costs in the like
we don't fully fund from the start which means we have to pay for them out of other
parts of the budget this is
a historic thing and it's not anyone's fault it's not it's but it's something
that's going on and we're trying to make sure that we pay upfront all of that we
were not able to do that as you can see from some of this in all of those all of
those needs together. We cut the entire entire line by.
Two hundred and I'm sorry I don't have that there can't do the math right now. But
. All the way.
Back to that the going to have it on that flight. To go to the next.
These are critical needs OK in addition to. What we had in just
a just to know how we prepare our budgets to I probably should've started with the
overview and I apologize for that critical needs these are things that the
principals in the school committee in the teachers in the feedback that we put in
there are things that really support education and teaching and learning for the
safety of students all these things these are these are how we want to improve our
district what I'm just telling you is only two of those are still the two that are
most mandated completely mandated. Are the parents profession is needed to follow
I piece where we had three where we looked at another Granted we could reduce to
two. And also we reduced the. Teacher Where we had one and
a half were supposed to we went to one of the half and then finally we went to one
those are for compliance with state and federal mandates for kids who don't were
English language learning learners and it's in English is not their first language
but we had to we had to still provide that by mandate OK or we lose we lose funds
Never mind that we loose funds it's the ethical thing that we have to do so those
are actually still. Things that we have to pay.
That leaves us excuse me. That that leaves us if once those things are
out of the need to further reduce
a million one hundred twenty nine thousand dollars OK Now in this if we go to the
next slide please this slide in as it was said before this is by no
means. It is our proposal to the school committee it's going to be approved by
school committee I've met like I said with the with the teams and we vetted some of
these and we are open to other ideas I suggestions the other day to look at things
and we will look at those things but what we had to do you know it's it's terrible
but as a person you know in a school district in
a school building is always approximately sixty to eighty percent of the budget.
And the we looked at reducing teachers if we could. Hands
in there were twelve teaching positions that that we came up with that have severe
impacts OK and some of those have been mentioned already but I want to reiterate
that as well but from in terms of the elementary positions from Ballard to the to
the limbers we targeted for positions where if we make cuts in bubble grades.
Those are the grades where we could where there might be three. Classes if we could
reduce those two. To four if we could put more students in
a class. Fight increase that's it's the only game the only the only
way we can do that is to increase class size and we do so the number of teachers.
Who teach those classes of the class size goes up and the education and as you
heard very articulately mention by our students it's not the same OK but it is.
That is what we have OK So there's issues too with equity in that and I want to say
that because of the demographics of our districts so that we have many. For example
in elementary grades at the waypoints where there are many where there's only two
classes at some grade levels there's no. No way that you can fly. You know when you
could have classes of thirty or thirty five so we're also we would have to look at
if we did cut some of these classes we would also have to look at. Or the or the
teachers increase size we would have to look at how we would try to distribute
kids' attention to other schools to make up that balance to if the parents wanted
to do that it is it's obviously not anything that. We were even
want to do or prefer to do in as none of this is at the at the middle school we
looked at three positions were suggested at first and I do want to say this when we
went in we were looking at approximately fifteen is the shims and we took those out
you know I'll talk about other ways that we're hopeful that some of these that
there would be fewer cuts as well. But as was already alluded to.
One of the cuts in suggestions as well in there there could be others OK as well
that in each school I depended on where we go in the numbers for and Roman and
other types of struck
a structural changes we potentially could put in but the suggestion was made to to
. Cut the Spanish program the feeder program as was mentioned to to
the high school. And. It's it is
that's what was suggested OK We have also was suggested to cut other encore classes
and you heard
a student speak rationally about and we mentioned this too on the onset of this
a couple weeks ago where some of those courses whatever they are they might not be
academic but those are the things that get kids to school that's where they
identify that's where they they they are mentored by teachers that's where they see
they hit their stride and go forward with those are the classes as I gave the do.
Active that we're going to try to keep classes we we can't look at sustaining
classes that are under fifteen that are under twenty OK as
a rule OK and it's hard to do that and it's hard to say that but this is the
customary practice in other districts OK as well that it doesn't doesn't make it
right it does impact and it does take away from what makes August August but these
are realities that we're facing right now. At the high school.
Most impacted for
a variety of reasons in our Also one I'll mention I'll come back to the middle
school as well parallel cuts. It's when you have more
sections and offerings that is in multiple sections of courses it's
easier. It's never easy to cut but you can.
Particularly at the higher grade levels when students are already accomplished
students and they know how to learn better be and in more experience would have
that many times at the earlier grades where students are learning to read and
reading to learn and things like that all the scholarship out there says it's it's
much easier. Or not he's here and it's the forward choice on my part but it's.
It's easier for students to recover OK with larger classes at the high school level
than at the early level so at the secondary levels excuse me so. At the high
school in terms of the electives OK in in the focus in Mr Hashem is had tough
tough conversations are ready with his entire faculty in with with teachers as to
what electives OK what quare courses that don't subscribe to or have class
sizes under twenty Those will be targeted. What he has right now is they're
building the master schedule at the high school they still don't have all of that
information in OK as to what that could be but some of those. For example.
Would shop classes and. Wellness classes and other types of classes where they
might be multiple sections and you could absorb more people in
a class more more readily those will be looked at in and scrutinized again
this will have as with the middle school cuts to circle back to that dramatic
effect it will have it'll have an effect on. The the entire school profile as
Saugus high school is the flagship of the district that is where kids so many of
them are presented tonight going off to to schools like Harvard OK they very
accomplished in
a never mind just just just the Ivy Leagues all the other schools where every where
everyone is getting into major impact to. That would mean
that currently they have their schedule for seven periods
a day and that we would try to. I come up with
a way that their schedules wouldn't be completely filled the six credits or six the
aft credits depending on the situation and we would have to supplant that in some
cases with
a directed study which no one wants to do. But that that is that is what we are
looking at right now. In terms of the Spanish the Spanish program in the feeder
for the A.P.
The that is those are things OK that are happening there could also be other cuts
the foreign language. Program where we have particularly for
a special high school and multiple languages we are looking at the possibility of
having to not have freshman come in and take Mandarin or take Latin but to follow
the students out have
a reduction in that's what Mr Hashem is working closely with his team to do to try
to have people finish in Sunset out as they call it with what they what they signed
up for but with the impact definitely two. Kids kids making
a decision about the academics that they're going to want that academy experience
in the like those are real consequences. The next.
Cut that we that we have on there is to eliminate custodial substitutes and just
looking at ways across so that we don't have coverage when
a custodian in that may sound. When you're looking at it like it like it's easy
thing to put down on paper and we'll just make do but ah particularly in the early
grades where there were students toileting issues in oftentimes that they you know
students are sick in other types of things their health has its concerns and other
types of things that we would have to change for coverage more importantly than
that we did sign in collaboratively to go. Contract in some of these changes
also we have to make sure that we can do the them within contractual language as
well. The next the next cut is. The
elimination two. Of the A or local educational agency or authority
the contribution that we do to the athletics program OK And what that means. Is
that we would be. Not funding the athletic program and
in order for sports to continue the burden would be on. Already we have high user
fees in it we would see our user fees creep up to about seven hundred. Or
over seven hundred dollars per sport OK They're already up there and that would be
another dramatic impact that we're trying to avoid but it is.
Again this is
a multi-tiered look at how we can make these cuts another thing that was
suggested because some area towns do this and we do we do think that in terms of
equity. Of in we're not. We know how impactful all
of this is but in terms of equity we would look to make sure that we charge
a fee for student activities and tonight across the board in
a program and we looked at some other models of how we could do that may cost that
out what we had for students who participate in that in what has been proposed so
far would be one hundred dollars fee to participate in afterschool activities what
we have the burden of doing now too is saying which one of those are there any of
those for example and it still has to be have discussion on that in we have we
started with
a projection of forty thousand dollars that we could save if we if we didn't run
the clubs or fund the advisors for that many of our teachers do.
Have. Longstanding ties with students and wonderful clubs and things like that but
if we didn't have similar to classroom in Rome and if we didn't have
a lot of students in those we would look to either cut those the idea for the
hundred dollar fee which is. You know it's
a lot different than we've done before Millen high but the idea of that fee would
be that if you paid the fee once you could do more than one club OK so that you
could get some benefit out of it but that we would have we would use
a. Pay for these things as well to not have to pay out of.
A For some of those things so that students would still have clubs and activities
to do after school the degree to which we would do that in the conversation that it
inspires about what what would be what part of the school so would it would honor
society would you have to pay to be an honor society some places do that OK and we
still need to have more discussion about that. Read. Using computer hardware we cut
that's in half in in again as we're looking at and we will scrutinize the lines
further but that of course you know machines all over. Over
people OK and things like that it's important to know that what we've been doing is
a lot of our curriculum is gone is online OK in
a lot of the infrastructure that we have for education around that there but we cut
that line in half right already finish year. We have in there the
elimination of the minute medical assistance which will be less coverage in
floating coverage when when nurses are out for safety issues but also will greatly
impact the field trips as many of our field trips particularly with younger
students we have a terrorist attack and. We had
a reduction in the supply lines anticipated if we do cut some of the electives that
have. Supplies to them and decreased things we would need reduction in
a district B.C.V.A.
. Board certified behavioral analyst to help students and
professionals come up with educational learning plans for students. And that
gives us
a remainder of three hundred thousand dollars that we are going to get one way or
another out of. Closing and I will say this we
looked into closing this building. We have costed out. What we would save in that
just in. Overhead and indeed even if it saves forty to
fifty thousand we would look to go to another building probably Saugus high school
because there is plenty of space in there we also looked at other close. Other
buildings OK if we could do that it's in we still have
a lot to do on that to make sure that it's it's viable we know that when we had.
People talk about it in a style Jackley and I wasn't here but when there was
a road an infestation in the way bright. Almost on the few years back all of
a sudden they spent
a lot of time at the high school we know we know in terms of capacity and moving
that we could put people in there we don't know that it makes the best sense we
also don't know when I need to meet with the town manager on this too is when you
take
a building off line if if we get any other benefits for in
terms of charge back agreements the Evans School has been off offline for
a while now in some of those fees that we're trying to see if we can get for that
that in some of those we still manage the account and we still have charge back for
heating and building that we're we're not at and those are some of the things that
we're trying to. Rectify so. We in
addition to that and I put some of some of the ways that we're scraping to come up
with this. We look to apply everywhere every single rental fee or overage that we
have to utilities as well and we hope to get. We should we estimate that will gain
seventy thousand for that sickly buyback that you heard about before anything that
is still on the table is simply buyback is
a contractual arrangement and people don't retire that year sometimes there's. In
overage we would look to do that the spent contingencies at the year end where we
we pay ahead anything that we have left over when we start. Scrutinizing the budget
we pay some of those ahead and we have and we don't know the budget for certain
amount to the end of the year we don't know until it's set at the end to get that
amount but that's that's where we stop at the three hundred thousand. And we also
hope to in all of those all of the teacher kind of you were budgeted at forty five
thousand dollars per person we're hoping. And that's and I'll be frank
with you oftentimes what happens in in
a reduction in force in areas in budget situations such as these is your the people
who don't stay on due to seniority and other. Other effects are the people who are
at least on the on the pay scale so they're new new in the in the steps and lanes
in it in you have to in we lose more people OK So that hasn't been determined all
the way through and it's tough to even talk about that but if there's
a change in that that increases obviously that's
a higher rate than we would hopefully have to we could. Fewer
teachers and then we would prepare how we would how we would do that.
Wrong. That is the plan so far and
put that to the committee that is what we've come up with as
a new st of team. To speak to the
superintendent and all the staff that have worked to put this together I can
honestly say I would not support this at all and last year I was new and somebody
once told me Be careful when you go to cut because they never they never come back
last year we had we made some cuts and I felt very confident that they would come
back and now not only are we looking at not bringing back the cuts I mean what's
going to happen to the athletic department is absolutely unacceptable in my opinion
struggling with
a half of director with you know what do we have between the middle school and high
school thirteen hundred students fourteen or to fourteen hundred and now we're
talking about an funding Department has been grossly underfunded for years
traditionally you're not looking at seven hundred twenty dollars for an athletic
field because you won't have six hundred kids participating you're looking at
a thousand you're looking at the athletic department to be abolished you won't have
an athletic department and then we're going to have all these kids hanging around
and saw this and you know that that's just these cuts to me on even. Now there
about right now you know several seven years ago the district suffered several
drastic cuts that were very detrimental to the kids we had no music we had we got
rid of health which still hasn't come back. They had no music no gym we had parents
coming in teaching gym class volunteer and it took seven years to get those back to
come back not seven years to come back fully but we worked really hard in this
district to bring those things back and I do I will not support discarding those
Spanish the effects we need to vet out the effects that these cuts have on the
students when we need the cut and it was presented to us Spanish at the elementary
level who needs it in and I guess I agree as
a parent I thought I didn't think about the effect that it has on the kids but now
we have fifty five kids in an elementary in
a music class I've walked in there I've seen what she's trying to do trying to
teach
a music class to fifty five we need to think about the impact that these cuts have
on our students we need to go back we need to go back to the drawing board we need
to shop are not pencils we have already discussed as
a school committee we're going to go through each line item and see where we can
shave money back and find money to supplement this these cuts to me as
a Parent in
a school committee member unacceptable and I will not support them I did it last
year unknowingly what what impact it had and I will not do that again I will. I do
agree it was mounted by
a first of all there's no savings in closing the school right now I mean the Robie
building are closed and schools have to move kids you have to shuffle things around
there is no true savings when you look at it when you look at this budget and I've
gone through the budgets back to two thousand and ten everybody and I got to
honestly believe. That either we didn't take into consideration affix cost of
contracts but. Something's not right as far as when you're looking at cuts of this
nature. It's. You know I agree with Mr Meredith I'll go back and.
Cut things before I cut teachers I mean. We've got
a good staff we've got good ministry. I just can't fathom
this and. Very disappointing I you know I go back and I look at the
funding and we didn't have this much cuts we had we got minus funding and we didn't
have this many cuts so I you know you really yes we did. We had
not nitpicking cuts that you well there was that year two in thirteen that was also
a boom year of one hundred fifty thousand dollars coming in and raised the top
money in there are going to know what France coming in you know brands are not
those are not of that nature not of that. So I use it possible to get
a list of all of the grants that we have currently in maybe entering to submit it I
know grants have been cut to accident you know really I don't want to take you
there if you couldn't walk through that grants if that's the right. I don't have my
. Piano Players I don't see the list you know what they do that would have done
with the grants
a lot of them all of them and their title unintelligible is separate and then the
other plants are together. And here.
I just want to know what I mean where say what we don't want to have cut and you
know to the look at what we can cut one point three million dollars to
a lot to try to cover that roof I kind of supplies our building or
I'm curious as to if the town. Since we already been to the town manager and we've
already been to the allotment What is it that. We will get answers
only say we need more money who's going to say other then where would you like us
to get it from what are we going to do in there in front of town meeting with
friend of Graham and we get the answer when we do like us to get this money from.
Where what. If ever there might be able to answer me in the past how
many times have they turned it around and given the money if in. The finance
committee doesn't give any money they only recommend to town meetings have they
raised the recommendation at. It's not typical of finance committee to recommend.
To the school department the. Town Meeting has on occasion amended but
frankly this last is
a pocket of money what you're doing is just pitting Department against
a. Meeting member wants to sit on the floor and say OK I'm going to cut and I don't
want to pick let anyone in particular in the library because if it's.
Because this Nantes to be done before budget is put together it shouldn't be put
together and then whatever's left over the absolutely this needs to take place
before that and it never does and I don't see that changing.
The. I think at the at this point we need to start that
conversation about when we plan our we plan it has been proposed Missy and I would
think we could do this as well to why don't we if we can go back if you go back to
the other side. Why wouldn't we know or suggest if you see the trend of the funding
trend. No I'm sorry.
Yes if you look at if you look at it that's where forty percent of the allocation
all right in the rest of the town is sixty percent all right so. If we
knew what we had it would be beginning of the year and I'm not saying this and I
guess we will as you alluded to get the counterarguments will get how to how do you
divide up the pie you can only go so far but why not at the beginning of the
process have an estimate OK we know when. The town has to
put the budget by February first we have to have everything in we rush knowing that
when we prepare our budget every single year for whenever. We rush we put our
budget together and we have to wait because we don't know what we're going to get
from the state what I will show in is we've been doing
a lot of analysis on this as we have actually been getting
a little bit more money from the state. But less money from the town OK and
I'll show that I am not saying that there is. It's similar in
a many towns OK and we'll talk we can talk about how that's divided and things like
that this is not anything unique to Saugus But in recent years when we compare what
we get just
a year to year increases or lack thereof. To everything else that is what points to
you cut one year you're down three or four positions OK as been made clear the next
year you're starting with less you can never replace what you have. In then you
have to continue to cut we've cut. We have nowhere else to go we're already
cutting so. That we dramatically change all of our
programs or offerings are for how we do that. But. That's what we're that's what we
looked at we can't we're simply not funded enough to afford those schedules other
than. At this point. For them to have and it doesn't matter what is cut
every single proposed by anyone will have an effect on me
some directly to the students some directly to the district.
But really there isn't fat in the budget is people like to say there isn't
a lot of that had been named for the New Year's. Eve
defunded the furniture Well how long does that. Can only.
Thing for so long because it has an effect in the end for the moment if you want to
save some money for the side the theory of things but it does have an effect down
the road. In the other is the state money that comes in the chapter seventy money.
Matter what you say no matter how much. Any time we get more with that only means
that less is taken from tax the tax levy and that's all it means.
When
a child Mr Boesky. A methodology
on Fichte physically is sixteen fixed cost increases bothers me. Out of district
Jewish and where we're saying we're going to have a half
a million dollars more how do we know we're going to have it all more with is that
figure twenty four would. I mean why would why would out of Dyster tuition jump so
so drastically we don't even know what what what students we're going to have and
where they're going to have to go so always projecting that we need to have
a million dollars small reading. That methodology is not does not make sense to me
. Yeah sure you can anywhere near committed.
I think the final number was about three hundred eighty thousand prepaid to cover
the added district tuition costs this is for special education so we do know what
the tuition to students and that they are going to continue. This obvious
potential for wanted to not aware of but. Which I think one additional to mission
is included in that amount so you have to be stored those budget line items because
you use that prepaid to support other use the. Offset from from the budget to
support other items. So are basically robbing Peter to pay Paul Robin one year to
pay for the next year and eventually it's going to come to dinner you're always
a year ahead it's the only thing you are allowed to realize that but don't have
much not
a good way to do it because some of what we're doing we just put ourselves in the
hole by half
a million dollars by doing that last year. Our whole methodology of these increases
and I'm going to I'm not supporting any one of these cuts at all until we go over
this budget with
a fine tooth comb and start making some sense out of what makes sense and what
doesn't make sense in terms of looking at the budget that we approved I see
a lot of line items that I don't agree with that doesn't make sense to me. And
that's that's you know about God like to look at the energy cost again I'd like to
look at everything I like to look at every single line item on it. And start going
down there if there's a there's
a line item and may not sound like much and I've I think I've said this the last
three years and I got criticism fart by
a couple of principal several years ago that really remembers that to go through
this thing and say you know maybe. I'm just talking off the top of my head.
I don't know I don't know if this is this is where I think zero based budgeting
comes in to play and we don't have a timeline and I wanted to do that you take
a whole budget you throw it out the window and you start from scratch with zero
zero in every line item and then you go through that line item and it's probably
very tedious and very time consuming. But you justify each dollar expended in I
don't know that we need to spend twenty three thousand dollars. We're increasingly
new negates from three thousand were increasing up by three thousand two hundred
fifty dollars not
a lot of money but every item office supplies fifteen hundred bucks if we cut ten
percent of that the author wants some other things. To creasing at the right and
that's why I say it's twenty thousand here but it used to be the new needs weren't
paid and they were all volunteers from the patterns we back with that. And
you know I'm sorry delusion subscriptions maybe
a four year we don't pay dues and subscriptions unless we absolutely positively
have to maybe we don't send anybody to conferences unless we taps will we have
positively town I mean there are other cuts that are non programatic
cuts that we can make and bite the bullet in those areas so we don't send somebody
to
a conference for the one year or two years until we get some opportunities or we find
some of the funding to do these things these things may be contractual as well so
you have to be careful what you say. They deserve to be looked at Yeah I'm going to
go back if it's
a contract right it will cut everything for us and we'll figure it out. That I make
a suggestion that we meet together as
a board and. That sometimes. It's me.
Pick a date and go through
a line you know standing at the top and going to the bottom not jumping around
because traditionally when we've done that it's ineffective if we're. Together.
For the things. That we said well that's why I get criticized the things
never get done you keep putting them on yet. We can't rely on because when we do
that we don't know but he didn't just you know and had time to the day we'll have
a twenty seven hour day. So we're already planning to do work in meeting on that
day with how many things on that agenda it's just I think we just have seventeen or
eighteen or so maybe we should like maybe make play Tuesday morning at the crack of
dawn that's fine something separate because I agree when we put if we put three
things on an agenda and one topic ties us up for twenty five that's when it may
happen on the sixteenth because we're talking but that's what I'm saying so let's
not do it on the sixteenth let's do
a separate day that we just focus on this and we are not allowed to talk about
anything else. So I get to use my gavel to gavel you can do whatever Thank you
completes
a wish it was never more Act should use the gas so how about the Tuesday the
fourteenth that's what the earliest everybody can get up I get up at four to just
drive or at night I'm up at four so I can't be here that. We're just going to do
a round table. Give you a good example not to get off the plate stick
a good day the one time on the fourteenth you don't sleep so it doesn't matter it
was seven o'clock or seven am in the morning yeah you're off and I'll wake you up
at six. And I'll bring against something from dogs and I'm definitely coming up
against must. Have some of these and I'll bring Peter in the morning so you can
have. Me remind you was the last time you were bringing.
Armistice just and in this budget just the budget and the just the budget we are
not allowed to talk about anything else in this budget there are increases in if
there are increases in personal. Yes.
That's the theory. But the cuts that you're making in the way we
increase the budgets I'll give you
a perfect example teaching assistants but the Right now this year we have twelve
year projected to go to fifteen that's an increase of sixty one thousand dollars
right there
a lot and I don't know about the methodology of why that's necessary or if that's
more necessary than
a teacher in the high school and I think that needs to be vetted exit reduced and
there to chew on here it's just not reflected in that right well I want to have one
of these that reflects that So no no what we're talking about what. You want to
incorporate these cuts into the budget Well I don't if I'm talking about
a cut here and it's already been incorporated into the event I'm talking about
something that's not true then you take that information you subtract it from I
don't know that I don't know that teaching assistants is I don't see it do you.
See teaching assistants and there is
a cut I don't. Know teaching assistants No it's not an.
Arrant session our program. Read it to bath. Stewardess flight
attendant Thank you. To the student.
And the students to the system which by the. Way get like we talked to both lead.
This coating to that memo two hundred twenty thousand dollars savings but next year
in energy costs that's. Five teachers Yeah.
That's half the cuts right there two hundred twenty thousand dollars.
On. The roof you. And me of the discussion on the
budget. We'll meet on then then we'll set up another meeting. Which.
Yeah I'd lay on your superintendent I did have
a couple other items today to echo what Mr Lavoy said to I definitely wanted to put
out there about the. So using. My head that I'm out of item here I'm sorry
but the upcoming I taste on Monday the twenty seventh it really is
a tremendous event and it has never been more topical than right now that the funds
and they're raised by the S.P.C.
They do
a tremendous job force goes right back into the into the classroom and support
students. They also sponsored the unsung hero award on the thirty first and it was
an incredible event it was good to see the school committee members Grabowski
Meredith and Riley their well as other invited. Guests Representative Wong was
there as well as well as Tom Ridge of Crabtree and some of the Selectmen.
And basically what was great about that event is that it really champions what
education is all about even more than the book says routed through the whole
student. Receiving awards from the veteran school where Meghan Hamill Ryan and Ryan
would go. From the opening bell to school with Kevin. From the way bright
Alyssa swivel mightiness Lyndhurst recent B.
And was Katherine salvo Belmonte middle school recipients were Laura sabotaged in
Gabrielle by Gabriel Rivera excuse me at Saugus high it was Bianca was out O.
And just and when and again we thank them for all that they do in how they
represent Saugus in our schools in our in the community. We also mats
we had
a school school can't get used to this title so it is high school building project
committee meeting on the second and at that meeting the first order of business it
was just still facilitated by Chairman read the group elected Mr Meredith. As as
chairman Mr Boesky as vice chair as well as Miss Reilly as the recording secretary
we've given an overview of the scope of the committee duties appropriating the sum
for the feasibility study coming up some of that is one point eight. Million
dollars and selecting our data the next meeting which is Thursday the thirtieth
that money is to fund the feasibility study and again for the public that means
that we are we are in the introductory stage of getting
a new Saugus high school and what this portion does and we will have
a discussion of that in this move forward to the town I had to decide on that but
what that does is it gives us an amount of money to study what type of school we
could build as it reflects our entire. Vote to be corrected what type
a building project we are. OK We hope adamantly that it is
and we hope adamantly that it is
a new sort of high school but we are not guaranteed any part of that the M.S.P.
Actually tells us what we can build and get and let me just add to that that's what
the feasibility studies. Undefeated ability and they put all the options out there
from renovation remodel or or
a new new thing so that will be part of the feasibility study to give all the
options and then M.S.P.
A in the town of Saugus will agree on
a project the best. Of the. Matter
is that. We're looking at
a middle high school is that the first you know we're looking at all options just
leaving all options for a combined middle high. Just a high school and again
a feasibility going to look at. And plus the condition of the
building and what it would cost to renovate remodel because you really want it and
it will show that it's cost effective to remodel the building that are in the.
Make sense. That they will prove
a new high school. But that won't happen much later right now
I'm always. Invited in for is
a high school project we're not sure what that project called The End.
But we have to keep reminding people every time we say new it's nothing that's not
guaranteed even though it makes the most of the. School building not just the.
Science labs.
And the. Mantra I can just go back for
a minute I just noticed something on the superintendent's slide show. If we
look at this cover sheet that you got from this sixteen school committee
approved budget. All right well that handout that you have here.
And this fiscal year sixteen proposed budget. That I'm so mean that's the one
we voted on while the figures on the fix across different. The reason we voted I
reduced that's what I was talking about. So so we reduce where the
number was that started it over
a million for the fixed costs and we went to the eight eighty three six zero two
but that's not what we voted you know you're right this is what I'm suggesting as
a reduction. No suggestion as fixed
cost or whatever why why you how you would just think the fixed cost of it's
a fixed cost it's
a fixed cost how you lowering the fixed we're lowering the fixed cost because we're
we're taking out of a special we doing. Where we took out
a special ed reserve we reduced the line that. For the A.D.F.
It contracts for good use if we reduce that line those are the things that I was
talking about as well the extended year program where it was at seventy thousand if
you look at it side by side with thirty five seventy out of that we could fund that
. Now for you it's it is significant so basically he appoints
for where we are hoping that we haven't enough for that from other fronts from one
is the spend reserve one is on the personnel fixed cost anyway just once by
getting in on you know if the same description it's. On the budget proposed by G G
eight hundred twelve thousand one sixteen one hundred sixteen in this one it's
eight hundred eighty three thousand six hundred two how do you come out so it's
higher on this one than the proposed No it's higher on the one we approved is
higher than the one that you're proposing how did you get into that I took one
hundred seventy four thousand out of the. By by reducing the entire line of the
budgeted amount that we put in for. Those items.
Because we'll discuss it with. Me because one is a one is
a boated one and I just thought that's why I say the methodology does not make
sense to me and we need to break down I need I want to see
a breakdown of everything in this. One page. Everything that's included here
this does not break it in some areas it does but I want to see
a more. Detailed break.
So there are new questions on the superintendent's report. Report of Executive
Director of curriculums comfortability. Sure not to tell
you. So. The couple things I was in first was the health and wellness
restructure plan that was previously distributed that you guys have asked me when I
was unable to begin your side to vote. So. Just in talking about it
people are looking at it and for you know whatever questions you may have about it
this really has been an effort really working with starting with the team.
Help physical education teachers school just my counselors that we're willing to
sit meet. Week after week you go through the current curriculum to outline what was
there as they present it to you and really look at how they thought we could
restructure it to be able to add in the subsidies curriculum that we've been
talking about for so long and to attempt to reach more kids. And
it's just been. You know really to their credit because you know they're willing to
talk and discuss and work with their ministry theirs and come up with actionable
plans that we think we can do with the looking at it from the perspective of the
staffing that we have now. You know and we don't know you know long and short as
far as what will be there for next year but as far as the planning is based on what
we have in place right now to restructure the way. I laid out for you other people
so I have your question. And I would like to thank you for all the crowd were in
time I know two took
a lot of extra time dedicated to this as well as your team of wellness teach is
spot on now and in your gym teachers and appreciate that and I like this
so my question right off the bat will be so they'll have
a lot of They'll have. To help. All year all three years
so they'll have on their six hundred six and seven. And then an eighth.
But they'll be able to ninety percent of the students will be able to one trimester
an additional trimester of health specifically OK and then.
Some of the kids even in seventh grade six percent will get that separate
additional trimester of health as well and not in the sixth grade the sixth grade.
Wellness the split of having every day in the rotation you know in the three days
that's
a big improvement and I appreciate this and again that's why I say that that's
really key to Miss Robbins and. This is going to teach teachers and
her hopes you know because they were willing to sit down and go through it and make
it work you know all of them and Miss Robbins one more question on the elementary
level how would that look for the nurse will the nurse go into I met with them
nurse Joanie and we went through from the beginning and the idea would be to do it
more like. More like for example example in her school only because
I For me it was so they would come in in the beginning of the year and do.
A presentation with the kindergarten kids about. Hand-washing and hygiene person
the topics is really not
a lot of real health topics in the Keating Five It's literally probably. Less than
ten as we say broke down. The line of what we're doing versus what the. Message
is comprehensive curriculum calls for so we thought that it would be better
approach to come from the nurses and have so the beginning of the year they pick
the topics that are most appropriate for each grade level and do kind of
a whole grade first grade or some things might pertain to K.
And one so like afraid that they would come they come into like the casualties in
a category of Yeah yeah and they do
a presentation we're still going to work and some members of the group that work
with me to outline some things for them give them some tools that they've used that
Mr Callahan and misprints go were using when they taught us in the classroom so
that they have handouts for them to go home with and discussion topics for them to
take to the parents and those kind of things so that the curriculum that they were
getting from the physical education teachers would just come in
a different format from the nurses but we're going to lay that out for them so that
the nurses aren't test with creating anything for us. So you know really looking at
what's going to what's going to be the best for you screen.
There is always you have.
So I mean I think that the. Tying the nurses into it again will
have
a lot more opportunity for conversations and for them to be able to target you know
what do they start to realize what more would something another type of that might
come up that they say oh this would be
a great teaching opportunity because once they establish that kind of relationship
they might see that. It's something that they might want to add to you but by
freeing up. Elementary physical education teacher is from that aspect of the
curriculum and as well as the you know the elementary principles of all you know
talk spoken with and address with their staff the issue of the interval in
curriculum and pulling that out of the physical education.
Map so to speak as well in putting that back into the classroom with the teachers
and with the counselors and the can by the way we're talking about pulling out the
ten make the. Biggest. Issues in focus areas in the curriculum that we're using
so it's once a month kind of thing where they're where you're getting
a lesson where you're being taught in something's going home and you're asked to
talk to your parents about it and there's it's conversational and it's kind of
theme based and it's throughout the whole month so that you're not taking away from
hours of teaching time they're basically designed to be twenty or twenty minute
lessons to thirty minute lessons and with the hope that the adjustment Council will
be able to work with some of the grade level teachers when it's something that's
really targeted point to that school that grade level that you know an issue that's
been coming up
a lot sometimes you know the issues around cyber bullying and the kids so it's much
more prominent in fifth grade discussions around social media. What kids aren't
doing and in the past you know complaining. To morning in the police to come in
to reinforce some of those conversations. So I think that's helpful at the middle
school level too because they are of him you know in fear so when he does it they
get you know he's got their attention on their undivided right and if you don't
think. That just by taking those things away from the physical education we can
institute the sub's abuse like that that the elementary level so that's the then
you have just trying to cover all those topics that cram it all in with the
physical ed piece and they do a fabulous job that's what. It has to be
a whole school and
a whole district approach to health education and what it involves So having the
nurses and the teachers having the adjustment counselors and the physical education
teachers all playing
a role and. Figuring out what are the best times to get the parents in to continue
the conversation that's being done with the kids kind of
a regular basis similar to the nurses maybe
a fall in the spring type assembly that ties into. Once mapped out whatever decided
to be kind of the target. For the kids at the elementary level and then at the
middle school really it's going to be important to know looking forward as far as
what you heard. One say that there's
a lot of topics that they may have been covering at the high school that fall under
the middle school but because of the. Only other one to not being able to cover all
those topics at that level so now really being able to vet out what can and will
they. Be covering at the middle school between sixty eight and therefore what can
they add to what they've been covering at the high school or how much deeper my
debut on the go and some of the topics and that kind. Of talk
a little bit in my second part of my report we're going to tomorrow's early release
professional development. How does how does this.
Restructuring work with the amount of the new curriculum that's already been
purchased that that they're going to take full implement and use of that curriculum
or are we going to be spending the six or seven thousand dollars that was spent on
not being able to utilize it or not most potential that will be utilized fully the
by freeing up the elementary physical education health you just they're able to you
to be able to implement the protect you from TAKE ME curriculum that's been
purchased for the alcohol awareness and the discussions around substance abuse
that's the only curriculum that was brought and the elementary level and then at
the high school level there were they purchased new health books and materials
which again this is what they're going to do we're going to do Continuing from now
to the end of the year is to redo the health and wellness map to show who's going
to be doing what what's going to be taught and what materials will be use and what
resources in these new materials will be used and if we find that we need
additional ones for the middle school as we're figuring out who's going to what
then we're going to do our best to. You and to to other questions is.
Removing me at a bowling curriculum from physical place in
a classroom with teachers of adjustment counseling to points of teachers an
adjustment counselors and yet here in the reductions we're cutting adjustment
councils and one of the. Ramifications of cutting is delivery of the world Destro
Graham in one two three four different areas that oppose those yet
and those were all those why didn't you know those are as organizational people
those are additional things that we are asking for in the budget above and beyond
we have now right this was based on what we have now though it was it would make it
much easier for the adjustment counselors to work with the teachers and be able to
assist in more classrooms and
a greater level. If we have the opportunity to hire the ones that we had asked for
but this is based purely on what we have now and that really is just to give
teachers someone to bounce ideas off of to discuss before really kind
of digging in on some of the curriculum pieces. You know it's not that they're
going to necessarily tag team or anything in the particular classroom it really
does
a these are the topics that we've chosen to address each month and you know
the teacher may say I've got
a question in regard to how this how does how you think best to roll this out with
a particular group of kids because maybe they're just my counsellor sees
a lot of the kids and has
a real insight into how they perceive things so it's just really to be
a conversational piece to address the topics. And how is that going to affect
the time in the classroom that is going to right now that time is not taken out of
the classroom so that it's in the physical education. Or whatever but there are you
going to put it in the classroom how is that going to affect the timing teaching in
the classroom but now has to be devoted to something that wasn't ever in the
classroom it's ever going to be an adjustment I think but I guess said we're going
to try and focus on any topic for
a monthly topic around this so it's not going to be it's literally going to be what
my anticipation of it is again the team is going to get together kind of map it out
and work on how it will look and get input from the principals in the teachers but
. I mean visiting it to be. Twenty to thirty minutes.
Teaching session you know so
a lot of them have stories that are read first and then
a little discussion with the group and then some question and answer about. How
they perceive the situation to know and then there's usually
a sheet that goes home that follows up that gives an opportunity to talk to the
parents of oh there's
a worksheet piece that goes with it and comes back so I don't anticipate it being
a LOT of
a lot of time devoted for the teacher away from their regular teaching but I do see
it as. It's I saw
a big difference in my past experience. Coming from where these
lessons in these topics were handled and discussed in the classroom with the
teachers and. The disconnect if you will of them being done
in isolation in the gym so that you know when they go into the gym there was always
this this is who taught them these pieces they were paying attention more to than
they were in the hallways when they were teachers than they were in the classroom
there was
a disconnect between the lesson itself and the fact that it was only only taught in
isolation so I really think having the teachers and the. Counselors who are
handling
a lot of these situations in the absence of the principal or with the principal I
hope that it will reinforce the lessons for the kids and make it more of
a common everyday conversation. Yes I agree that's why out of the K.
Through twelve comprehensive curriculums taught through the classes I know that's
a that's you know I have this guy I wish down the road but I mean this this is good
but one more question when it was for the middle school level when it says they'll
be some flexibility based on subject matter that they cover and and it will be the
up to the professional discretion will substance use be touched upon in that and
will there be like you said the elementary will you have general topics that's
where they'll go by the. And that's what I want to health and wellness
professionals to to work out and determine who's going to be teaching what at what
levels based on the recommendations that we can find as well as the curriculum that
will be using in the resources will be using but. That just means that So if it's
in the three day cycle of it's two days of physical education one day of help their
rotation might change depending on
a topic that they're covering that they might think we should lead this next
segment with. A lesson prior to the physical education of the activity of that part
being left up to them as to if they have to change the rotation or where how it
works best for whatever it is that they're teaching at the time as far as the
topics will be will there be like
a skill level curriculum asked like you know I'm going to let you know thank you
thank you. But. I wanted
to. Write my second part is just
a little bit about tomorrow's early release day we have. Some folks coming from
Discovery Education to give some support to the programs at the middle school we
have the program at the MIT tech look at the middle school and there'll be someone
doing
a workshop for teachers at the middle school for some studies and also be someone
there from their math. Tech but pilot program that we're piloting from January
until two June. And also at the high school level the pilot runs his course of the
BE a math textbook person at the high school and there will be
a science textbook representative at the Veterans for support for the elementary
teachers especially for those who are newer this year who really haven't had
formalized training has been more assistance in teaching from their peers but to
give them and to answer some questions because there's some questions of come up
with teachers around assessments in the building the Sussman to use in the programs
and I'd like to really be able to ask the folks designing the programs how where we
go from here with those kind of things and how to best utilize that those programs
for the teachers and then so those are really more by those workshops will be by
either by choice or by
a principal recommended if it's people who haven't had it or who are need some
assistance and. The rest of our folks in all the different levels will be getting
together with their grade level teams and or their designs and looking at the maps
curriculum maps that we have now these maps were done in created by teams years
ago
a lot of them have Chines we have some that were on the website that have been updated
in X.
Two but not on the Web So some of the coursework at the high school has changed
some courses are offered in more so we're going to really kind of clean them up see
to our They're just going to review kind of
a cover sheet that says which map is it that you're reviewing. What is it that you
see that our needs are changes or issues things that you know need to be addressed
and we're just going to. Get all the feedback from the teachers in the teams and
then start looking at OK with what where is the most need in focus right now needs
to be done and try and put together some teams to do some work between now and the
spring to put those up straight and. Hopefully. Be able to make
sure that what we have on our maps is what we're teaching and not necessarily what
we hoped to be teaching or if we've just materials a change of resources
a change if we change titles and stories in text that are being used that we're
updating so we're just kind of the starting of reviewing them and getting them
caught up so tomorrow all of our health and wellness folks will be together and
women. Through high school at the high school to spend some time looking at this
and start the process of talking about how we're going to how we need to lay it out
and what it needs to look like for all of them to make sense they were. Rarely if
ever get to get together. At the same time because our times are substandard So
think believing you know the elementary in the middle school principals were
willing to let them flip flop schedule time to lunch time so that we could get them
all together for
a little while just start the conversation and then get this vengefully get this
mapped out to the point so that they all have tools to move forward next year and.
That's been the last one thank you I know you guys have put
a lot of time and effort into this and I really appreciate it at
a time that's really crucial for these kids and. It really is appreciated by
a lot of the parents I know right now there's nobody sitting here but it is
a hot topic as you know in this town Well I mean this is not it was you know what
you know I think I did something nobody you know we see as you know I mean we
appreciate why you're you are always yes you're
a staple in the in the in the audience but you know what I meant yes and it does
not go unnoticed all. The work and effort that you put into this and like as it was
presented it was very nice to see the energy and the enthusiasm behind the health
and well the steps to really you know to get him to be
a part of it welcome back thank you yeah. That's
right thank you for the question. We put aside
committees who serve
a subcommittee. Vs the finalizing changes to the
teeth by the town for an officer and
a Danders. Would never step maybe we had shared it with the full school committee
and asked for any input. So with that we request be final.
This evening as it needs to go to the D.E.S.C.
And it is time sensitive so with that. I have any questions on.
Everything just blog they are. All you guys want to that and this and going through
it and reading. Some what sixty pages of how many pages was that.
Somebody should be going through that with
a fine tooth comb and they could change the discrimination hearing. OK so that the
Food Service Committee met in voted to recommend the following that the school
committee approved the final draft of April one two thousand and fifteen of the
request for proposal for
a food service management company to be submitted to the town of Saga's.
For instance. We could you know rest of us.
Just want to make sure that we're all realizing the town oh yeah I think it.
Does it have to go to deceive first. Yes but it's just the first you are. So
this still. Needs to be. Given. I don't think you
see any any changes to me you don't see that they'll be making you need recommended
changes do you think you. Might even call.
Them are you going to make a motion and make
a move and she didn't say. I'm going to show you. I kind of like
to make a motion. At stake here. The Q.
Second and the discussion. All in favor pose.
Thank you for all your work you have
a good committee. Following back and forth the times in which was always
a good thing yes in the thing and I just need to reiterate again we lost someone on
the phone service we have an even number we really need someone to volunteer to
finish out the year on the food service as we're going forward with the
interviewing companies and things so we need at first then I would.
Yes we need it. So I like to ask probably to. Get in touch
with the superintendent's office and myself for the narrative they need for any
school committee member or the mathematician exam I fully know of anyone that may
be interested in current stand up on current Yes and as long as they are
a resident of Saugus or in the Middle East of the town they can serve on the sub
right. Hand Thank you. And the other
reports see me in this one on the agenda so will go on we have no old business with
. The. New business. Seem Collaborative Agreement
and. The superintendent said I apologise Yeah but you don't know my laptop I don't
have
a copy of it but it is the typical agreement because the past. They could missed
shortly after the summary I got my reminder to put it in there they did change
there was
a minor master watch Angel the composition of the words but it was just members had
to be present that's the only substantial thing in number six. And we thought this
was taken care of but it was actually the other it was. Yes that was the other
collaborative that was on that was on the table for
a while literally so there so everyone had an opportunity to review we have any
questions on this question Mr Good Boesky just the one that uses the facilities.
Well it's really a reference to that I don't remember ever seeing
a written agreement OK or fever to pay us. Take that last year
that meant you know there was always so we got my copy of
a really great what you know we had Yeah you know as it was it was it was in line
with what with you yes he's in line with the idea that he told us what they were
going to pay but we didn't have
a written agreement that says this is what they opt not to like
a contract you know it's because it's in one of our packets because.
But this particular one does anyone have any questions on. This because we need not
commit authorization for the chair to sign. I.
Make
a motion to prove that you had authorized change I authorize it you know the signs
seem collaborative agree seconds and the discussion all in favor
post-mortem passed unanimously is pretty standard and like he said just one second
and that was changed to
a twist. Of the committee. You
know. Told they. Are. It's to Serino
You. Encouraging. Encouraging good behavior. At least insist.
That you have
a little levity once in awhile if you have to stand the superintendent so I don't
really as he keeps says left. And. You. Know
we have gifts in this package so we didn't I didn't see you know. Just in case but
we thank. All our supporters. We encourage gifts we do we
do. Any even the small things I mean everyone everyone is really generous to see.
Just to. Be on what you know the. Taste the education
the does every day. Think it gives all year long for things that we wouldn't be
able to afford in the budget and that is really thank you Mr grows every minute of
that. Time that you put into that and then watch it is. Lots of
food good twenty seven I would recommend you go it's of. It's actually
away in a window from a business you bought a ticket on the way I did buy
a couple things and that's just. Anyone interested this over twenty restaurants
all from any of the school administrators. Do you have tickets to react
to this administration in the winter remind everybody that the place this is. There
is
a. Way that. I have one more thing
and a new business could you place on the next. I think to discuss. If there's
a policy or just a procedure are needing
a client's And it. Is. Like if.
You know right now where multiple hands so at
a school committee may stop working. And describe. That if they're not
on the agenda to review whatever is it. I would like to see that they don't have to
come I don't know if it's me if it is I suppose they are intended it has nothing to
do with us so that discussion so do they only have to come if they're on the agenda
I just know that sometimes we sit here for four hours and I look at them and. If
they're not reporting to me I feel like they should have to come Miss
indestructible join the spot but if she's not reporting on the budget I feel like
she shouldn't have to sit here for three or four hours if not reporting on and they
have like schedule times at that point you know I'm just wondering is there
a policy or procedure in place that mandates them to be at every meeting or is it
at their own discretion or. It's my discretion we stagger the other two usually
there's it's pretty customary to have
a business person there. All the time for business question. But.
We usually ask for and we could get them on Tuesday we could come in and see her
which most of us if we have questions do do that so I'm just asking I just feel
like you know they put so much time in during the week and there are already over
taxed sometimes when I mean when we're sitting here for three or four hours it's
you know I just feel like if they're not reporting that they shouldn't have to sit
there that's just my and I just want to know if it was if there was
a policy or procedure in place that. You know. Times I want to be here I
mean it's going to do it with. A substantial.
Best of the. Things. You want to be there sometimes particularly. All the work that
goes into. The health program in particular I think I know what she is reporting
tonight so when they are reporting and that is how we got here because she was
reporting Seabass but she is here most nights even if she isn't reporting she's
here so I'm just wondering I mean
a lot of times we're pulling her in particular away from events that her kids have
to convince and she's missing out on so I just think you know that was just my
thought that they didn't need to be I was trying to get clarification if it was.
Pretty customary for the business person. Trying to.
Silence
a yak always smiling on the outside. Before Miss marathon questions make sure
it's non-debatable. All in favor or. Oppose.
Anything that I would like to see.